Cooper Connolly was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 3 crore during last year’s IPL mini auction. NEW DELHI: Last September in humid Lucknow, Cooper Connolly had a long chat with India A captain Shreyas Iyer. Connolly, part of Australia’s A squad, picked Iyer’s brain in dealing with the spin.The 22-year-old then went on to make a fluent 70, but little did he know that the 25-minute interview at the Ekana Cricket Stadium had left a lasting impression on Iyer, now the Punjab Kings captain.
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Filming Cooper Connolly: Australia’s 22-year-old starA few months later, Punjab Kings bought the youngster for Rs 3 crore in the IPL mini auction.“Thankfully he was there and we had a good chat. It was all about cricket,” Cooper Connolly told TimeofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
Cooper Connolly with his Australian teammate Marcus Stoinis at the New Chandigarh Stadium in Mohali. (Photo credit: Punjab Kings)
“Look, he’s a world-class player. I love watching him bat. He looks so easy. So it would be nice to pick his brain, understand him a bit, see how he goes about batting in Indian conditions and put into practice what I can for my game in India. I’m just looking forward to learning from him,” Connolly said of playing alongside Iyer.Cooper Connolly said his primary focus is to gain experience, learn from top players and compete against the best in the IPL. He expressed his gratitude for being selected by Punjab Kings, calling it an honor and is eager to grow under the guidance of the coaching staff and captain Shreyas, regardless of whether he plays.
The moment one of the paddles went up for me was just the moment I said, OK, I’m going to go and compete against the best in the world.
Cooper Connolly | Punjabi kings
“It was so nice when the paddle went up. It was obviously nice,” he said.“I think the main goal at first was just to hope they would pick me up.“Now it’s just about going there, experiencing quality cricket against quality opposition and learning from some of the quality players in Punjab and of course the great coaching staff in Punjab.”
Cooper Connolly (left) with jhis Punjab Kings teammates Marcus Stoinis and Priyansh Arya. (Photo Courtesy: Punjab Kings)
“The moment one of the paddles went up for me was just a moment when I thought, OK, I’m going to go and go against the best in the world. It’s obviously nice to be outbid for more than I thought. It’s just an honor to be a part of that and to go up against quality opposition and try to learn as much as I can whether I play or not,” he said, looking forward to his skills.It’s been a roller coaster few months for Cooper Connolly. He has made his international debut in Australia in all three formats and has signed an IPL contract. He admits he didn’t have a chance to think because it was surreal.The youngster did not have a good series against Pakistan where he looked all sea. Then he played only two matches in the T20 World Cup and did quite well: he took three wickets in two games.
He (Shaun Marsh) is someone I can approach and talk about cricket and his approach. More than anything, it’s the way he plays that I try to model my game on, how he gives himself a chance in every format, his timing and his ability to find the boundary. For me, it’s about reaching out to him when the time is right.
Cooper Connolly | Punjabi kings
Now in Mullanpur, the youngster will get a chance to work with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and over the next two-and-a-half months, he will have a chance to correct his technical flaws and become a more versatile all-round prospect.Perth-born Cooper Connolly, who modeled his batting after Shaun Marsh, is also looking to emulate his idol.“He’s someone I can approach and talk about cricket and his approach. More than anything, it’s the way he plays, what I try to model my game on, how he takes chances in every format, his timing and his ability to find the boundary. For me, it’s about approaching him when the time is right.”
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“He was really good to me. I always enjoyed watching him bat and even now I go back to his highlights, especially his hundreds. It’s about picking certain attributes from his batting and trying to incorporate them into my own game because he was world-class,” Connolly said.Punjab Kings will play their first game on March 31 at home against Gujarat Titans and Connolly has linked up with the team and is set for the biggest couple of weeks of his career which could shape his future.
