Cooper Connolly entered the IPL without much hype around him, apart from his experiences in the Big Bash League. However, like his idol Shaun Marsh for the franchise during his time in the competition, Connolly quickly established himself as a run-machine for Punjab.
Bought for Rs. 3 Cr, Connolly filled the void left by Josh Inglis at No.3 and scored 377 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 171.36 and an average of 53.86. In his last appearance, he scored a fighting 107 for PBKS when they lost to SRH.
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PBKS spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule told the post-match press conference that Connolly had a good head on his shoulders and tipped him to succeed with the Australian team.
“He is someone who is very positive and has a lot of potential,” Bahutule told a news conference. “He’s definitely going to play for Australia for a long time. He’s a very good all-rounder, a wonderful fielder. And he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
WHY WAS CONNOLLY’S KNOCK SPECIAL?
While Connolly is not mentioned alongside the likes of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for their destructive batting, the southpaw played one of the best knocks of his career on Wednesday, May 6.
But in Uppal, Priyansh, Prabhsimran and Iyer contributed just 9 runs from 12 balls in the chase, Connolly fighting till the very end. This ensured that the margin of loss was ultimately lower and did not take a heavy toll on PBKS’ net pace.
Bahutule was happy to see how well Connolly adapted to Indian conditions and playing in the IPL.
“He is a team man,” Bahutule said. “We knew at some stage (that) it was a lost cause but he’s just made sure the momentum is on and he’ll see how we can get closer to the total. Because things like that obviously help us in our clean run as well. That’s what he’s done beautifully. I think he’s learning, you know, he’s in India, he’s playing in the conditions and the way he’s really adapted to playing at 2 (2) like a fabulous player overseas. in different places, on different pitches and play so well.”
PBKS will next be in action against DC on Monday, May 11th.
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Published on:
May 7, 2026 12:12 PM IST
