IPL 2026: How Ricky Ponting's Gamble Earned Punjab Kings A New Superstar In Cooper Connolly
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting promoted Connolly to top order, seeking batting flexibility with the young all-rounder.
- Cooper Connolly made his IPL 2026 debut for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans
- Connolly batted at No. 3, higher than his usual lower middle-order spot for Australia
- Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting was behind the decision to promote Connolly
An all-format star for Australia, yet the expectations from Cooper Connolly were limited as he made his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 debut, playing for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) against the Gujarat Titans. The biggest surprise was seeing Connolly, an all-rounder, at the No. 3 spot on Tuesday, considering he plays in the lower middle-order for Australia in T20Is. However, the gamble paid off as Connolly emerged as the match-winner for PBKS, scoring 72 off 44 balls. The man behind this gamble, however, was head coach Ricky Ponting.
Though Connolly plays all three formats for Australia, he isn't one of the undisputed stars yet. He generally bats at No. 7 or No. 8. In the recent 2026 T20 World Cup, he was slotted into the lower order to provide late-innings impetus and left-arm spin options.
In ODIs, he has predominantly batted at No. 6 or No. 7, though he has shown he can anchor an innings from the middle order, notably scoring 61 against India in late 2025. When it comes to Tests, in his debut match against Sri Lanka (February 2025), he batted at No. 8.
But, as Punjab bought Connolly for a fee of £300,000 (Rs 3 crore) in the auction, Ponting had his plans for the 22-year-old clear.
"I think with someone like Cooper Connolly coming into the squad, it gives us top-order and middle-order flexibility, him being a left-hander as well. Last year, we had Priyansh [Arya] at the top and [Nehal] Wadhera in the middle. Someone like Cooper Connolly gives us a bit more flexibility through that batting order with left-hand-right-hand, if we decide to go that way," Ponting had said before the start of the campaign.
The debutant seals it in style! @PunjabKingsIPL clinch a thriller in New Chandigarh to get their campaign going with a win
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2026
Scorecard https://t.co/75rCxTCOL1#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvGT pic.twitter.com/WqBQNjuvA1
The gamble reaped great rewards as Connolly turned out to be the difference-maker in the PBKS vs GT match in Mullanpur.
"I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world-class players, but to put that performance in tonight, very happy," Connolly said after the game. "I'm just more of a tempo player, feel the flow of my hands, don't hit too many big sixes."
After missing out on the IPL 2026 title at the final hurdle last year, Punjab have reasons to believe again.
Punjab Kings
Gujarat Titans