22-year-old Cooper Connolly has announced himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL). On his debut against Gujarat Titans, he smashed a superb fifty, getting to the landmark off 34 deliveries to set the tone for Punjab Kings (PBKS), including a 103m six off Rashid Khan.
In doing so, Connolly became the fourth PBKS player to score a fifty on IPL debut and the first since the inaugural edition in 2008. He is also the third Australian to achieve this feat. Overall, he is the 25th player to score a half-century on IPL debut.
PBKS players to score a fifty on IPL debut
Shaun Marsh 84* vs DCH, 2008
James Hopes 71 vs CSK, 2008
Kumar Sangakkara 54 vs CSK, 2008
Cooper Connolly 72* vs GT, 2026
Coming in at three, Connolly took very little time to get going and put on 76 off just 49 deliveries for the second wicket with Prabhsimran Singh (37) to put his side on top in pursuit of 163. He then joined hands with Shreyas Iyer to put on 26 off 16 before the latter holed out in the deep.
Connolly now has the fifth-highest score on IPL debut.
Highest scores on IPL debut innings:
158* – B McCullum (KKR) vs RCB, 2008
116* – Michael Hussey (CSK) vs KXIP, 2008
84* – Shaun Marsh (KXIP) vs DCH, 2008
73 – Kyle Mayers (LSG) vs DC, 2023
72* – Cooper Connolly (PBKS) vs GT, 2026
The Perth-born all-rounder was bought for INR 3 crore in the IPL 2026 auction. He has played 20 international matches for Australia since making his debut in 2024.
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