New IPL season. New Chandigarh. And a new kid on the block.
Cooper Connolly announced himself on the IPL stage on the very first attempt, regaling the home crowd with a belligerent, unbeaten 72 (44b, 5×4, 5×6) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium here on Tuesday (March 31, 2026).
The young Australian’s debut heroics, coupled with a fine bowling show, led by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (two for 28), propelled Punjab Kings to a nervy three-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans.
Pursuing 163 to get off the mark in the 19th edition, PBKS appeared to be coasting to the target when Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh (37, 24b, 1×4, 4×6) combined for a 76-run second-wicket alliance. But GT raised hopes of an improbable fightback with a flurry of wickets (83 for one to 118 for six), including four in the blink of an eye.
Connolly, however, had the final say as he prevented the Shreyas Iyer-led side from committing harakiri — five balls were left in the bank when the 22-year-old completed the chase in style with a boundary off Washington Sundar.
The southpaw went after some of the best in the business, with four of his five maximums coming against Kagiso Rabada (two) and Rashid Khan (two).
Earlier, veteran Chahal operated as though he had never been away from elite cricket. Facing a master craftsman who last played at the top level in November 2025, the GT batters, including victims Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler, were trapped in his web.
Besides Chahal, pacers Marco Jansen (one for 20) and V. Vyshak (three for 34) did their bit in the first essay as Titans meandered to 162 for six after being asked to bat.
Chahal, introduced by Shreyas in the eighth over, bamboozled the opposition with his bag of tricks.
One such act led to the removal of Gill — the GT captain found Connolly at deep-midwicket after being undone by a change of pace.
While Jansen provided the opening for the host and showed his class at different periods, Vyshak vindicated the think-tank’s decision to play him over left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar.
New or old did not matter to PBKS. All that mattered was a win.
Scoreboard
Gujarat Titans
B. Sai Sudharsan c Shreyas b Jansen 13 (11b, 2×4), Shubman Gill c Connolly b Chahal 39 (27b, 6×4), Jos Buttler c Bartlett b Chahal 38 (33b, 3×4, 2×6), Glenn Phillips c Jansen b Vyshak 25 (17b, 1×4, 1×6), Washington Sundar c Arshdeep b Vyshak 18 (16b, 2×4), Shahrukh Khan c Arshdeep b Vyshak 4 (6b), Rahul Tewatia (not out) 11 (10b, 1×4), Rashid Khan (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-11): 14; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 162.
Fall of wickets
1-37 (Sai Sudharsan, 3.4 overs), 2-83 (Gill, 9.3), 3-119 (Phillips, 13.6), 4-129 (Buttler, 15.4), 5-144 (Washington, 18.1), 6-150 (Shahrukh, 18.6).
Kings bowling
Arshdeep 4-0-42-0, Bartlett 4-0-36-0, Jansen 4-0-20-1, Vyshak 4-0-34-3, Chahal 4-0-28-2.
Punjab Kings
Priyansh Arya (Impact Player for Chahal) c Ashok b Rabada 7 (8b, 1×6), Prabhsimran Singh c Prasidh b Rashid 37 (24b, 1×4, 4×6), Cooper Connolly (not out) 72 (44b, 5×4, 5×6), Shreyas Iyer c Washington b Prasidh 18 (11b, 2×6), Nehal Wadhera c Gill b Washington 3 (6b), Shashank Singh c Buttler b Prasidh 4 (5b), Marcus Stoinis c Rashid b Prasidh 0 (2b), Marco Jansen c Gill b Ashok 9 (10b, 1×6), Xavier Bartlett (not out) 11 (5b, 1×6); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (for seven wkts. in 19.1 overs): 165.
Fall of wickets
1-7 (Priyansh, 1.2), 2-83 (Prabhsimran, 9.3), 3-110 (Shreyas, 12.1), 4-113 (Wadhera, 13.1), 5-118 (Shashank, 14.2), 6-118 (Stoinis, 14.4), 7-144 (Jansen, 17.4).
TITANS BOWLING
Siraj 2-0-15-0, Rabada 3-0-34-1, Ashok 3-0-31-1, Rashid 4-0-29-1, Washington 3.1-0-27-1, Prasidh (Impact Player for Shahrukh) 4-0-29-3.
Toss: Kings; PoM: Connolly.
PBKS won by three wickets with five balls to spare.
Punjab Kings 86 for two
Kings were 86 for two after 10 overs with Connolly (38) and Shreyas (3) at the crease. Priyansh (7) and Prabhsimran (37) were back in the dugout. Rabada and Rashid took the wickets
Published – March 31, 2026 07:57 pm IST
