Debutant Cooper Connolly’s composed 72* guided Punjab Kings to a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer gave a positive update on a wrist injury as the team overcame a brief collapse to secure their first points.
Following his side’s win over the Gujarat Titans (GT), Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer gave an update following a nasty hit on his wrist and hailed debutant Cooper Connolly’s composed, well-paced knock which took the last year’s runners-up to the finishing line despite a brief collapse. Connolly’s magnificent 72* in 44 balls guided PBKS to a three-wicket win over GT in their IPL opener at Mullanpur.
While PBKS have started the 2026 season with a ‘W’ next to their name, it did not come easy. A ferocious drive by Connolly hit Iyer’s wrist at the non-strikers’ end, leaving him in need of medical attention. Prasidh Krishna’s spell of 3/29 triggered a collapse from 110/2 to 118/6, but Connolly made sure PBKS secured their first points with five balls left.
Shreyas Iyer on Injury Scare, Connolly’s Knock
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Iyer said about his injury scare, “All I can say about the hand is that it is nice, same as it was before, I do not want to jinx anything.” On Connolly’s knock, Shreyas said, “Cooper has got a great mindset and hope he continues his form. I have seen him play for Australia. Some of the shots he played were surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid.”
Shreyas emphasised staying calm in moments of adversity while speaking about the brief collapse that followed his wicket. “I was focused on my hand inside, icing it, and suddenly we lost two wickets back to back; these things happen in the IPL. You have to stay composed. Cooper was there, he was composed and calm,” he said.
‘Vyshak is a big match player’
The PBKS skipper also praised pacer Vyshak, whose spell of 3/34 in four overs, alongside Yuzi Chahal’s 2/28 in four overs, restricted GT to 162/6, with skipper Shubman Gill (39) and Jos Buttler (38) never really getting partnerships that could have made an impact. “Vyshak is carrying forward the form he performed in the last season, he is a big match player,” he said.
‘It is a team performance’: Cooper Connolly
‘Player of the Match’ Connolly also spoke on getting his first taste of the IPL, saying that he was “looking forward to getting the experience of playing with some world-class players”. “To put on a show tonight was nice. But, it is a team performance; we played as a team tonight, and that’s all we speak about. It is just a bit of a refresh. I had a couple of weeks at home (after the T20 World Cup), just a refresh and reset, spend some time with family and friends. And that was probably the point where I changed, and it was just like, yeah, okay, I am just gonna reset, and I am gonna go into the IPL fresh,” he added.
On his batting style and Ponting’s guidance
Speaking on his six-hitting, Connolly said that he is “more of a tempo player” and does not try to hit too many sixes. “I like to sort of get a feel of the flow in my hands. Working with Ricky (Ponting, the PBKS coach) has been great. Just some slight tweaks have helped me out over these first five days. But looking forward to the rest of the tournament.
‘Things felt relaxed’
Connolly said that during the mini collapse courtesy of a stunning Krishna spell, “not a lot was said and things felt relaxed”. “We still felt like we were in a really good position to win the game. And, Marco was pretty calm, so was Xavier (Bartlett). I spent a lot of time with Xavier (his Australian teammate), so it is sort of nice to spend a bit of time with him and get a win. He had a massive smile on his face,” he signed off. (ANI)
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