Former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar And Cheteshwar Pujara praised the fearless style shown by young batsmen Ayush Mahatre and Priyansh Arya, highlighting how the new generation is redefining T20 batting by focusing on the present rather than the failures of the past. Priyansh Arya set the tone for a formidable chase of 210 against Punjab Kings. Chennai Super Kings With a blistering start after being introduced as an alternative. From the start he took the attack to the bowlers, driving. Khalil Ahmed Before launching it over midwicket for six for a crisp boundary. Despite some movement on offer, Khalil conceded 14 runs in the opening over. Arya’s attack intensified in the next over, as he went after it. Matt Henry With a sequence of 4, 6 and 4, he raced to 25 off just six balls. By the time Punjab reached 50 in 3.2 overs, Arya had already scored 27 runs in eight balls. His 11-ball 39, at an impressive strike rate of 355, exemplified the modern T20 blueprint — maximize the powerplay and gain control early. Pujara was particularly impressed with Arya’s ability to read the game quickly and punish even the slightest mistakes. “Priyansh Arya is picking the length very early. On this pitch, whenever the ball was a little short, he didn’t give up and often hit it for a six. We saw that against bowlers like Matt Henry and Khalil Ahmed, he is not missing full balls, which means the margin for error for the bowlers is reduced. But he makes the offside very tough and comfortable and strong. A batsman to bowl,” Cheteshwar Pujara. told ‘JioStar’. While Punjab’s batting strength was prominent, Gavaskar pointed to Chennai Super Kings’ bowling as a growing concern. “From what we have seen so far, CSK’s biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. This means they will have to consistently score around 225-230 to give their bowlers a chance. Most teams now have significant batting depth, as we saw with Punjab Kings where Marcus Stoinis came in at no. 7 and hit the ball cleanly with proper cricket shots. With many sides having a deep batting line-up, Chennai will need to sort out their bowling. For Chennai, it was youngster Ayush Mahatre who provided the foundation for a fluent 43-ball 73, showing both consistency and attacking intent. Reflecting on his character and temperament, Gavaskar praised his mentality and supported his rise up the order. “I believe No.3 is a good position for Ayush Mahatre. He has batted lower down the order in the Under-19 setup, but three could suit him well. He was dismissed on the first ball in the last game but showed no signs of being affected. That’s the beauty of the ‘Gen Next’ mindset, they don’t dwell too much on the past and focus on the present. It’s a wonderful attitude.” Together, Arya and Mahatre’s performances, complimented by two of India’s most revered voices, marked a clear shift in outlook among the young batsmen – fearless, instinctive and unfazed by past failures.
