Cooper Connolly Eyes IPL Challenge, Keen To Work With Ricky Ponting At Punjab Kings
Young Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly was roped in by Punjab Kings for Rs 3 crore at the mini-auction earlier this month.
Young Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly was roped in by Punjab Kings for Rs 3 crore at the mini-auction earlier this month. Known for his aggressive batting, sharp fielding, and handy left-arm spin, the 22-year-old star is all set to feature in his maiden IPL season. Ahead of the auction, PBKS-who finished as runners-up in IPL 2025-released all-rounder Glenn Maxwell from the squad. So, the inclusion of Connolly has somewhat filled that gap before the season.
During a virtual media interaction, Connolly, who has played just 15 international matches for Australia, revealed that he had no prior conversation with PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting and was eagerly waiting for his name during the auction.
"No, there was no kind of communication between me and him (Ponting) before the auction. I was quite nervous and didn't know which team was going to bid for me. I was just sitting there and watching the auction. So, I feel quite privileged to be picked by PBKS and am really looking forward to playing for them," said Connolly while answering a query from NDTV.
Connolly also said he is looking forward to working closely with Australia's World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting.
"I've heard a lot of good things about him. I haven't done a lot of work with him just yet. So, I'm looking forward to spending some time with him and sort of doing some tweaks to my batting and seeing what his thoughts are on it." he said.Â
"Everyone goes to this tournament (IPL) because it's probably going to be the most competitive. And also looking forward to getting over there and challenging myself against some of the best bowlers in the world," he added.
Aware that IPL conditions will be vastly different from the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia, Connolly said adapting to spin would be a big challenge.
"Yeah, it's very different to Australia. We've obviously got some fast, bouncy wickets. But that challenge of playing spin is a challenge that is tough for everyone.
(With PTI Inputs)
Punjab Kings