Punjab Kings' star Cooper Connolly expressed his deep gratitude for the high praise he has received from captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. The Australian batting all-rounder has made an immediate impact in the IPL 2026 season, justifying the prodigy tag with an explosive start to his campaign that has quickly made him a central figure in the team's batting order.
I enjoy watching him. I enjoy learning from him: Connolly on Iyer
Connolly’s breakout moment came during his debut game against the Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh, where he was promoted to the No. 3 spot. He delivered a masterful, unbeaten 72 off just 44 balls, earning Player of the Match honors for his ability to anchor a difficult chase despite a wobble in the middle order. He proved this performance was no fluke in the following match, contributing a solid 36 runs against the Chennai Super Kings to help PBKS maintain a perfect record of two wins from their opening two games.
"It's been a nice start. Hopefully, we can continue winning and, yeah, continue staying at the top of the ladder. I think it's nice. I obviously spoke to Shreyas a little bit during the Australia vs India (ODI) series a couple of months back, and we just communicated and spoke," Connolly said on JioStar Press Room.
"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 and hopefully continue to get the backing from this sort of franchise. 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.
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While Connolly has quickly built a reputation for his fearless approach at the crease, he confessed that transitioning to the high-stakes environment of the IPL was a daunting experience. The young Australian admitted that stepping out for his debut game brought with it a wave of nerves, despite the outward composure he displayed during his match-winning performance. He acknowledged that the jump to the world's most prestigious T20 league is a major milestone in any player's career.
"I think when I was sitting there on the bench and getting ready to leave (for the game), I was pretty nervous. That's probably where it all started. Probably in the morning when I woke up, I had a little bit of a feeling in my stomach, just nervous. But being nervous is always a good thing. Walking out to bat, I was obviously quite nervous, and then I just slowly got into it, I guess. The longer I was out there, the more comfortable I felt and the more I just tried to relax myself and just, I guess, play what's in front of me," he further stated.
'Everyone likes to be around Shreyas Iyer because he's just a good person'
Connolly also revealed that he will be operating strictly as a specialist batter through the end of April. A lingering back issue has hampered his ability to perform his left-arm spin bowling duties, forcing him to focus entirely on his contributions at the crease while he recovers.
Despite this physical limitation, he credited the Punjab Kings' team culture for his seamless transition into the tournament. He explained that the environment fostered by Shreyas Iyer encourages young players to express themselves freely, allowing them to play their natural game without the paralyzing fear of failure.
"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. It's just about being confident in this group and what this group can achieve. I think that's sort of 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.
"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," Connolly signed off.