5 months ago
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Punjab Kings' latest enlistee Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly prides himself connected being versatile and is unfastened to batting astatine immoderate presumption the squad deems acceptable successful his maiden IPL play adjacent year.
Known for his assertive batting, crisp fielding and useful left-arm spin, Connolly was snapped up by Punjab Kings for ₹3 crore astatine the mini-auction earlier this month.
"I similar to exemplary my crippled connected being capable to beryllium versatile successful immoderate position. So whether that's astatine three, whether that's successful the middle, I'm blessed to execute immoderate role," Connolly said astatine a virtual media enactment connected Monday (December 22, 2025).
The 22-year-old has been successful sensational signifier for Perth Scorchers, scoring 2 blistering fifties, successful the ongoing Big Bash League batting astatine No. 3.
However, Punjab Kings are peculiarly keen connected his quality to decorativeness games and grip high-pressure situations, arsenic highlighted by skipper Shreyas Iyer station the auction.
"I consciousness similar I'm inactive learning the relation astatine fig 3 for the (Perth) Scorchers. It's a relation I enjoy. But if the relation successful the IPL is different, that's wholly understandable due to the fact that it's a satellite people team.
"To conscionable beryllium successful the mediate bid would beryllium benignant of a bully accidental conscionable to benignant of knuckle down and get to enactment successful the mediate order," helium added.
Connolly has rapidly established himself arsenic 1 of the astir promising young talents successful Australian cricket. He made his T20I and ODI debuts successful September past twelvemonth earlier earning his Baggy Green successful January.
The Western Australian besides impressed during the ODI bid against India, producing a calm, match-winning sound nether pressure.
Reflecting connected his accelerated emergence implicit the past 3 years, Connolly said adapting to the demands of planetary cricket has been crucial.
"I deliberation implicit the past 3 years, it's been astir knowing however antithetic the planetary level is. It's astir adjusting to that, knowing however bowlers are trying to get maine retired much and however I tin antagonistic that."
"I've had to gain the close to beryllium successful the Australian set-up. So it's astir learning from guys similar Travis Head, Steve Smith, however they spell astir it and however they benignant of bid to each those standards." "I'm conscionable trying to tweak my crippled dilatory and adhd much strings to it arsenic I determination forward."
Connolly besides said helium is looking guardant to moving intimately with Australia's World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting, who is the caput manager of Punjab Kings.
"I've heard a batch of bully things astir him. I haven't done a batch of enactment with him conscionable yet. So, I'm looking guardant to spending immoderate clip with him and benignant of doing immoderate tweaks to my batting and seeing what his thoughts are connected it." He is besides looking guardant to look immoderate of the champion bowlers successful the satellite astatine the IPL.
"Everyone goes to this tourney (IPL) due to the fact that it's astir apt going to beryllium the astir competitive. And besides looking guardant to getting implicit determination and challenging myself against immoderate of the champion bowlers successful the world."
Aware that IPL conditions volition beryllium vastly antithetic from the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia, Connolly said adapting to rotation would beryllium a large challenge.
"Yeah, it's precise antithetic to Australia. We've evidently got immoderate fast, bouncy wickets. But that situation of playing rotation is simply a situation that is pugnacious for everyone.
"So, it's conscionable astir picking the brains of radical that person done it for a agelong play of clip and knowing however they spell astir it, I guess, adhd their method into my crippled and spot however I tin benignant of play successful those spinning conditions.
