The ongoing Tata Indian Premier League 2026 (Tata IPL 2026) is turning out to be the season of young stars and now Ravichandran Ashwin has started a new debate. With new talents shining every week, the former Indian off-spinner has pointed out the real standouts among the emerging batsmen.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s opinion on this matter has made things even more interesting. While many young players have impressed this season, the former all-rounder feels that Priyansh Arya is a cut above the rest.
Ravichandran Ashwin chose Priyansh Arya over Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Ravichandran Ashwin said explosive Punjab Kings batsman Priyansh Arya looks more complete as a T20 cricketer than Chennai Super Kings sensation Ayush Mhatre and Rajasthan Royals young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
Also read: Big blow to CSK, Ayush Mhatre out of IPL 2026
The main reason behind selecting Ashwin is that Priyansh is not only playing aggressive shots, but he is also converting his starts into big scores. Priyansh has already shown his class this season by playing a explosive inning of 93 runs off just 37 balls against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
This knock was not just about hitting boundaries, but also about controlling the game and taking it away from the opposition. However, Vaibhav has already shown the world what he can do, and even Ayush had outshined Chennai Super Kings superstars with his talent before his injury.
Priyansh Arya has wide range of shots: Ashwin
His aggressive attitude made him one of the most exciting young players of the tournament. But it was Priyansh’s ability to build on a good start and build his innings smartly; Ashwin believes that his shot selection and range make him more organized and reliable at this level.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “Not to bring anyone up or down, but this is Priyansh Arya. I feel he is a step ahead of Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. I am not comparing. Because he scores big runs, he has range.” There are more shots.
(I’m not trying to put anyone above or below anyone, but Priyansh Arya, to me, looks a step ahead even of Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. I’m not comparing him, because he scores big and has a wide range of shots.)”
Also read: R Ashwin on Hardik Pandya’s poor form, “If he gets good hits in an innings…”
Ravichandran Ashwin shares an honest opinion on Jasprit Bumrah
The former off-spinner also shared his views on Jasprit Bumrah’s performance in the ongoing IPL 2026. Bumrah managed to end his wicketless streak by dismissing Sai Sudarshan during Mumbai Indians’ 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 20.
Ashwin said, “I still think that in the first two matches, Bumrah bowled very well, but then the team started losing. Then this story also started that Bumrah was not getting wickets. Maybe that was what was going on in his mind. He got a wicket, and it was bound to happen. In the last two matches, he is not the Bumrah that I have seen, but chances are that we will see his best performance going forward.”
