Cooper Connolly started his IPL career on a high note.
Cooper Connolly knows a thing or two about finishing games in crunch situations. Before his IPL debut, he had already aced two tricky ones – once in a BBL final and second against India last year. So, when he found himself in a similar spot again, Connolly didn’t have to break a sweat.
He anchored the chase perfectly on a deck that was not as straightforward to bat on, and wickets were falling around him. There was a point when Punjab Kings lost four wickets for eight runs inside 16 balls after being comfortable for most of the chase. Cooper Connolly hit a maximum and a boundary off Kagiso Rabada before two more in the remaining innings to calmly take PBKS through.
But that’s not the whole thing about that debut knock or the kind of player he is. A major reason PBKS bought Connolly was his spin-bowling expertise, coupled with his batting credentials, which made him an ideal replacement for Glenn Maxwell. However, he has already shown he might be more than that.
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Despite not being fit to bowl, Cooper Connolly was drafted into the XI as a batter alone and immediately given the No.3 spot. They had Mitchell Owen, who is elite against pace and adds bowling value and Azmatullah Omarzai, another player who can be flexible with the bat and bowl a couple of overs. More than Aussie bias, there was a promotion of obvious talent and a shield for vulnerable batters around him.
Cooper Connolly has played all his cricket for Western Australia and knows how to handle pace. That was one of the reasons to slot him at No.3, with the likes of Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer being vulnerable at times. Last year, Josh Inglis nailed this role and was key to PBKS’ immense success.
That Connolly is an LHB makes the batting unit all the more dynamic and foolproof. But what became more noticeable on his maiden outing was his ability to handle spin, and that Rashid Khan gave him plenty of half-trackers helped him too. There was one shot he played off Rashid in the sixth over.
It was a half-tracker outside the off-stump line, but Connolly didn’t try to whack it square of the wicket on either side. Instead, he went back and used his fast hands to hit down the ground with ferocious power. This shot confirmed several things about him as a batter: he reads lengths quickly, has fast hands, and can access straighter areas without overly relying on those horizontal-bat shots.
This set the tone for how Rashid vs Connolly would go for the remainder of the match. The spinner, arguably among the finest ever, even if not at his best, was too hesitant to pitch it up and was hit for every half-tracker he bowled to the southpaw. From the non-Connolly end, Rashid conceded only seven runs across two overs and also removed Prabhsimran.
“It was unbelievable. One of the best bowlers in the IPL, and to hit him so clearly and neatly, it was simply phenomenal,” Iyer said of one of the shots.
A lot of good overseas spin players specialise in playing those funky shots and hitting square of the wicket. However, Cooper Connolly is equally proficient with straight bat shots and doesn’t exactly rely on premeditated shots, which would make him harder to restrict. The margin of error is already minimal for spinners.
Priyansh Arya has had issues with spin, as these early patterns show. So, Cooper Connolly covers for it without compromising pace skills. That’s already a good base to begin with.
He was watchful to play out the stump line and pounced on anything wide against Gujarat Titans (GT). He’s so gifted that the timing always remains so crisp without making extra effort. On these decks, he is unlikely to face too many issues.
When PBKS released Inglis and Maxwell, particularly the former, they left major gaps open in the squad. But in the auction, they were clear about what they wanted and bid hard for Cooper Connolly, a multi-dimensional high-ceiling player who also brings long-term value. That’s also been Punjab Kings’ identity since last year; their focus has been on getting more multi-skilled players with specific skills against pace and spin.
Cooper Connolly fits into their philosophy nicely and fills in for key absences. He alone covered for Maxwell (when fit to bowl) and Inglis, players with extremely contrasting skill sets. That itself shows the immense value he brings at this age.
He came into the tournament with high expectations and a big role to play. The transition from previous levels to IPL can be tricky. However, the opening game showed that the investment and hype might be worth it.
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