Who is better in IPL – Priyansh Arya or Abhishek Sharma?

Priyansh-Arya-and-Abhishek-Sharma. (Photo source: X)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a launchpad for budding Indian talent. The players in the league are exposed to top-notch facilities and get a chance to work with several seasoned campaigners and under some of the best coaches.

Two left-handed players who have impressed in the marquee T20 tournament this year are Priyansh Arya and Abhishek Sharma. Both of them have risen through the ranks by delivering game-defining contributions. 

The duo brings unique qualities with the bat to Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively, as far as is concerned. Below is a brief analysis (as of May 3, 2025) of both players' journeys, styles of play, strengths, and a few vulnerablities which define their overall impact for their respective franchises.

Priyansh Arya

Priyansh landed a deal of INR 3.8 crore (from a base price of INR 30 lakh) with PBKS at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025. His blistering 120-run knock off 50 balls in the 2024 edition of the Delhi Premier League attracted plenty of eyeballs. An impressive run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 (325 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 176.63) also proved instrumental.

Priyansh marked his debut in the IPL through a quickfire 47 off 23 against Gujarat Titans. The southpaw's ability to strike the ball down the ground was clearly evident in the innings. After a couple of single-digit scores, he lit up the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium with a maiden IPL ton against Chennai Super Kings. With wickets tumbling one after another at the other end, Priyansh's ability to hold one end and still not let go off his aggressive approach was impressive.

Priyansh has scored 346 runs in 10 innings so far. He has scored at a rapid rate of 196.59. An area where the youngster can hone his game could be his gameplay against spinners. There have been a few occurrences where Priyansh has found it tough to deal with spinners on turning tracks. With age on his side and a lot of opportunities lying ahead, it could be anticipated that Priyansh works on this particular aspect and become a more versatile player. 

Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek's journey in the IPL started in 2018 after he was picked up by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) for INR 55 lakh during the auction ahead of the season. This was when he had impressed in the U-19 World Cup for India. He played only three innings for the Delhi-based team in that season. Ever since 2019, Abhishek has been a part of the SRH setup. He has established himself in the top-order ever since the 2022 season, an edition in which he scored 426 iruns n 14 games.

The 2024 edition of the IPL was a groundbreaking one for Abhishek as he complemented Travis Head perfectly to form one of the most dangerous and prolific opening duo in a nightmare for the bowlers. Abhishek racked up 484 runs at a scorching strike rate of 204.21 with his fearless attitude being a stand out feature in all the innings. As far as the ongoing season is concerned, Abhishek's carnage was at full show during his outworldy, record-breaking 55-ball 141 against Punjab Kings.   

A trade-off with Abhishek's high-risk-high-reward approach is the proneness of falling cheaply. There have been quite a few cases where Abhishek has played a shot too many, leading to an early dismissal. Another minor limitation of Abhishek is his tentative footwork against quality swing bowling. If Abhishek learns to mend the said dimensions, he can become even more dangerous wiith the bat.

Conclusion

Both Priyansh and Abhishek are similar in terms of their temperament. Abhishek boasts more experience in the IPL and domestic cricket, however, Priyansh is not too far behind despite lesser matches under his belt, thanks to his raw talent and potential.

Abhishek might be ahead in terms of the overall impact he has made. He has also made his T20I debut for India a while back. However, both of them have a long career ahead if they continue developing their strenghts.