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Virat Kohli once, Priyansh Arya twice! Punjab Kings opener enters IPL record books
TL;DR
Priyansh Arya made IPL history by hitting a six on the first ball of the match against Delhi Capitals, joining an elite group of players. This marks his second time achieving this feat, previously doing so in 2025.
Key points
- Priyansh Arya hit a six on the first ball of the match
- He previously achieved this feat in 2025
- Only a few players have hit a six off the first ball in IPL history
Mentioned in this story
Priyansh AryaVirat KohliMitchell Starc
IPL 2026Punjab KingsDelhi Capitals
NEW DELHI: Mitchell Starc was all set to open the bowling for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings in their crucial IPL 2026 clash at Dharamsala. But PBKS opener Priyansh Arya had other plans.
On the very first ball of the match, Priyansh stepped out and smashed Starc for a stunning six over cover point, immediately putting Delhi Capitals under pressure and lighting up the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium crowd.
The shot also helped Priyansh enter an elite IPL list of batters to hit a six off the very first ball of a match.
Before him, only a handful of players had achieved the rare feat - Naman Ojha against Brad Hodge in Durban in 2009, Virat Kohli off Varun Aaron in Bengaluru in 2019, Phil Salt off Nuwan Thushara in Kolkata in 2024, and Priyansh himself against Khaleel Ahmed in Mullanpur in 2025.
Interestingly, earlier this season Yashasvi Jaiswal had also smashed Starc for a six off the opening ball in Jaipur.
With this latest maximum, Yashasvi continues to lead the chart for most sixes off the first ball of an IPL innings with four, while Priyansh moved to second place with three.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to field first. Delhi made five changes to their playing XI, bringing in Abishek Porel, Sahil Parekh, David Miller, Madhav Tiwari and Aaquib Nabi.
Punjab Kings, meanwhile, handed a debut to Australian left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis, who replaced the injured Lockie Ferguson.
Six off the first ball of an IPL match
Naman Ojha (RR) off Brad Hodge (KKR), Durban, 2009
Virat Kohli (RCB) off Varun Aaron (RR), Bengaluru, 2019
Phil Salt (KKR) off Nuwan Thushara (MI), Kolkata, 2024
Priyansh Arya (PBKS) off Khaleel Ahmed (CSK), Mullanpur, 2025
Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) off Mitchell Starc (DC), Jaipur, 2026
Priyansh Arya (PBKS) off Mitchell Starc (DC), Dharamsala, 2026*
Most times, hitting six on the first ball of an IPL innings
4 - Yashasvi Jaiswal
3 - Priyansh Arya
PBKS vs DC: Playing XIs
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Ben Dwarshuis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Madhav Tiwari, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi Dar, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi.
Q&A
Who is Priyansh Arya and what record did he set in IPL 2026?
Priyansh Arya is an opener for Punjab Kings who set a record by hitting a six off the very first ball of the match against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, marking his second time doing so.
Which players have hit a six off the first ball in IPL history?
The players who have hit a six off the first ball in IPL history include Naman Ojha, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, and Priyansh Arya.
What was the significance of Priyansh Arya's six against Mitchell Starc?
Priyansh Arya's six against Mitchell Starc put immediate pressure on Delhi Capitals and highlighted his explosive batting ability, contributing to his place in IPL history.
