Dharamsala: Priyansh Arya scripted a unique piece of IPL history during Punjab Kings’ clash against Delhi Capitals at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala by becoming the first player in the world to hit the first ball of an IPL match for a six on two separate occasions.

The young Punjab Kings opener continued his sensational form by smashing a rapid half-century inside the powerplay and giving his team a flying start.

Arya’s explosive innings immediately grabbed attention after he launched the very first delivery of the match for a six with a stunning inside-out shot over extra cover.

Priyansh Arya achieves unique IPL milestone

The six against Delhi Capitals pacer Mitchell Starc marked the second occasion on which Arya has hit the opening ball of an IPL match for a maximum.

Earlier, he had achieved the same feat during IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings off the bowling of Khaleel Ahmed in Mullanpur.

With this, Arya became the first batter in IPL history to accomplish the rare feat twice.

The achievement has further strengthened his reputation as one of the league’s most fearless young batters.

Players who hit the first ball of an IPL match for six

Only a handful of players in IPL history have managed to hit the opening delivery of a match for a six.

The list includes:

  • Naman Ojha for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders in Durban, 2009
  • Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals in Bengaluru, 2019
  • Phil Salt for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians in Kolkata, 2024
  • Priyansh Arya for Punjab Kings against Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur, 2025
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur, 2026
  • Priyansh Arya for Punjab Kings against Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala, 2026

Arya is now the only player to appear twice on the list.

Explosive knock powers Punjab Kings

Arya continued his aggressive approach throughout the innings and completed his half-century within the powerplay.

The left-handed batter scored 56 runs from just 33 deliveries, smashing three fours and six sixes during his entertaining innings.

He shared a strong opening partnership with Prabhsimran Singh, helping Punjab Kings dominate the Delhi Capitals bowling attack early in the match.

Arya was eventually dismissed after handing debutant Madhav Tiwari the first wicket of his IPL career.

Arya joins elite young batters list

The latest innings also helped Priyansh Arya achieve another notable milestone.

He became only the second Indian batter after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to score a half-century inside the powerplay on at least three occasions in the IPL.

Arya now also stands second on the list of players with the most sixes hit on the very first ball of an IPL innings.

Only Yashasvi Jaiswal, with four such sixes, remains ahead of him.

The youngster’s fearless batting style and consistency at the top of the order have made him one of the standout emerging players of IPL 2026.

With Punjab Kings continuing their playoff push, Arya’s form could prove crucial in the remaining matches of the season.