Four matches into IPL 2026, and all had gone the same way—teams chasing, teams winning. But Mullanpur offered something different. This wasn’t a high-scoring shootout. Despite New Chandigarh presenting a good batting surface, both sides stumbled. Punjab Kings, more so.
At one stage, they lost four wickets for just eight runs in the middle overs, turning what looked like a routine chase into a nervy collapse. Yet, amid the chaos, an unlikely figure at No. 3 stood tall and carried the hosts over the line with five balls to spare.
Having finished runners-up in IPL 2025, Punjab retained their core ahead of the auction, with a key focus on replacing Josh Inglis. The Australian, who played a defining role last season, including a match-winning 73 against Mumbai Indians, was released due to limited availability for IPL 2026.
Enter Cooper Connolly.
Spotted by Ricky Ponting, the PBKS head coach, Connolly was slotted into the No. 3 role. It was a bold call. For Australia, he is typically used as a No. 7, including during the recent T20 World Cup.
But Ponting trusted the upside.
Connolly arrived in the IPL on the back of a modest run, double figures in just three of his last 15 T20 innings, with a highest score of 28. Yet, crucially, his best returns had come at No. 3: a 31-ball 59 and a 77 off 37 for Perth Scorchers earlier in the BBL. That was enough for Ponting to take the gamble.
“I think with someone like Cooper Connolly coming into the squad give us top order and middle order flexibility, [him] being a left-hander as well…” Ponting had said before the match.
Also Read – How Cooper Connolly’s mature debut innings saved Punjab Kings from choking away an easy chase vs Gujarat Titans
On match eve, Punjab confirmed Connolly at No. 3. The 22-year-old repaid that faith.
How ice-cool Cooper took PBKS through
After Kagiso Rabada removed Priyansh Arya early, Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh rebuilt with intent, taking apart the South African for three sixes in a single over. Punjab raced to 55 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.
Rashid Khan broke the stand, dismissing Prabhsimran in the 10th over, but Shreyas Iyer kept the tempo going briefly with back-to-back sixes. Then came the collapse.
Prasidh Krishna triggered a dramatic slide, four wickets in 16 balls for just eight runs. At 121 for 6, chasing 163, the game had flipped.
But Connolly wasn’t done.
He took on Rabada once more, cutting a 141.8 kph delivery behind square to bring up a 34-ball fifty on IPL debut. A pulled six to close the over shifted momentum decisively.
Support arrived from Marco Jansen and Zavier Bartlett, who struck crucial blows to ease the pressure before Connolly sealed the chase with the winning boundary.
A gamble, or sheer conviction, but Connolly stood firm through the storm and emphatically vindicated Ponting’s call.