Cooper Connolly, the Australia batting all-rounder viewed as one of the most fearless young prospects in the Punjab Kings (PBKS) camp, said he feels “very thankful” for the encouragement he received from skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting after an explosive start to the season. Connolly made an immediate impact in the IPL 2026, smashing an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls in his debut match as a No. 3 batter against the Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh. His innings earned him the Player of the Match award and drew praise for his ability to steady the chase even after a brief middle-order wobble.
That performance was followed by a further contribution of 36 runs against Chennai Super Kings, helping PBKS register a second straight win and continue their perfect start.
Connolly, addressing questions during the JioStar Press Room session ahead of TATA IPL 2026 Rivalry Week, described the early momentum and the support structure around him. “It’s been a nice start. Hopefully, we can keep winning and continue staying at the top of the ladder. I think it’s a good place to be,” he said. “I spoke to Shreyas a little bit during the Australia vs India (ODI) series a couple of months back, and we just communicated and talked.”
He added that watching Iyer has been a learning experience as he looks to grow within the league. “I enjoy watching him. I enjoy learning from him. He’s obviously said some nice words about me, but I’m very thankful for that. He’s a world-class player, but I’ll just keep trying to learn and get better, and try to put my best foot forward for this team. Hopefully, I’ll continue to earn the backing from a franchise like this,” Connolly said.
The 2026 season, for Connolly, is about contributing in every department and backing the team’s direction. “Hopefully, get some wins—whether it’s with the bat, in the field, or with the ball. I’m just looking to put my best foot forward and hoping for some team success,” he added.
While Connolly has drawn admiration for his fearless approach, he admitted that stepping into his first IPL game came with nerves. “I think when I was sitting there on the bench and getting ready to leave for the match, I was pretty nervous. That’s probably where it all started,” he explained. “Probably in the morning when I woke up, I had a little bit of a feeling in my stomach—just nervous.”
He said the pressure eased once he got going at the crease. “But being nervous is always a good thing. When I walked out to bat, I was obviously quite nervous, and then I slowly got into it. I guess the longer I was out there, the more comfortable I felt, and the more I tried to relax myself and play what’s in front of me,” Connolly said.
Connolly is expected to bat as a specialist until the end of April, after a back issue affected his left-arm spin bowling responsibilities. He also spoke about how PBKS’ team culture—shaped and led by Iyer—encourages younger players to express themselves without fear of making mistakes.
“It’s always nice with the sort of positive attitude that we have around the group. It’s led by our skipper, Shreyas. He’s always positive, and he’s got this saying that I have a feeling that we know we’re going to win, and it’s not being arrogant or anything,” Connolly said.
He continued, “It’s just about being confident in this group and what this group can achieve. I think that’s stuck with this team, and he is a bit of a leader. So a lot of people in this team follow him, and he sort of leads by example.”
Connolly concluded by highlighting Iyer’s influence both on and off the field. “Everyone likes to be around him because he’s just a good person as well, both off the field and on the field. So he’s someone that everyone wants to be around. I guess players want to play under him and do well for him because he deserves that credit,” he said.
