Cooper Connolly’s Fighting Fifty Steers PBKS to 3-wicket Win Over GT In Thriller

Young southpaw Cooper Connolly marked his IPL debut with a decisive 44-ball 72 after Yuzvendra Chahal's artistry with the ball to power Punjab Kings to a three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh on Tuesday. After PBKS opted to field first, leg-spinner Chahal (2/28 in 4 overs) brought his years of experience to the fore to stymie GT in the middle overs and limit them to 162/6. Seamer Vijaykumar Vyshak grabbed 3/34 for PBKS. But Connolly was there to see PBKS home, hitting five sixes and as many fours during his knock. After almost losing their way with the bat due to Prasidh Krishna's (3/29 in 4 overs) excellent bowling, PBKS completed the chase of 163 with five balls to spare. Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh (37 off 24 balls) laid the foundation for the win with a 76-run partnership for the second wicket. Earlier, skipper Shubman Gill (39 off 27 balls) and Jos Buttler (38 off 33 balls) were the chief contributors for GT in an insipid batting display.