'I want to play for India but...': PBKS Priyansh Arya sends strong message following India's Asia Cup squad announcement

After a 14-year hiatus, Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a memorable IPL 2025 season, finishing as runners-up. A key contributor to their success was opening batter Priyansh Arya. In his debut season, he amassed 475 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 179, which included a blistering century. With such an impressive performance, Arya has emerged as a strong contender for a regular spot on the Indian national team. Just one day after the Asia Cup 2025 squad was announced, Priyansh Arya opened up on his dream of playing for India.

Priayansh Arya opens on his dream to play for India

Currently, Priyansh is busy playing in Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 where he representing Outer Delhi Warriorz. The young batter clearly stated that while his immediate focus is on playing well for his DPL team but he does harbor the long-term goal of playing for Team India in the future.

“I want to play for India, that dream is always there but I’m also focusing on the cricket at hand and play well for my team right now - which is Outer Delhi Warriors. I’m also trying to help the youngsters who come and ask me questions about approach or just growing as a cricketer in general," Arya told Times Now.

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Talking about the Outer Delhi Warriorz, they are currently struggling in the DPL 2025, sitting at the bottom of the points table. With only one victory in seven games, the team has accumulated just three points. Despite their poor performance, Priyansh remains optimistic, expressing hope that they can finish the season on a high note.

“We still have a few matches left and we want to make a mark. We want to ensure we leave on a high and make all our fans proud. The youngsters are also looking at this as a platform to get noticed by selectors for important tournaments," Priyansh concluded.

As far as India's Asia Cup squad is concerned, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar came for the presser to announce Men in Blue's 15-member team with surprise entries and exits.

India T20I squad for Asia Cup 2025:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Stand-by players for the Asia Cup: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel