Punjab Kings Star Cooper Connolly Scripts History On IPL Debut With Batting Heroics Against Gujarat Titans
Cooper Connolly played an unbeaten knock of 72 runs on his IPL debut in the 2026 season with the Punjab Kings.
IPL 2026: Punjab Kings (PBKS) clinched a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the fourth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Tuesday, March 31.
Cooper Connolly was named Player of the Match following his unbeaten knock of 72 runs from 44 balls at a strike rate of 163.64. He struck five fours and five sixes during his innings. The 22-year-old Australian helped the Punjab-based franchise begin their IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note.
Cooper Connolly Etched His Name In Record Books
With his batting brilliance in Mullanpur, Connolly achieved a unique milestone on his IPL debut. His 72-run knock from 44 balls is now the fifth-highest individual score on debut in IPL history.
Former New Zealand batter Brendon McCullum holds the top spot with his unbeaten 158-run knock for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2008. Michael Hussey is second with his unbeaten 116 for Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab in 2008. Interestingly, Connollyโs idol Shaun Marsh occupies third place with an unbeaten 84 for Punjab against Deccan Chargers in 2008.
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Punjab Kings Dominate Gujarat Titans In IPL 2026
In the match, Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. GTโs batting lineup delivered an average performance, with Shubman Gill (39 off 27) and Jos Buttler (38 off 33) being the standout contributors as the Titans posted 162/6. Vijaykumar Vyshak led the Punjab bowling attack with three wickets.
During the chase, Connolly (72* off 44) and Prabhsimran Singh (37 off 24) produced a crucial partnership to guide PBKS to a three-wicket victory. Prasidh Krishna spearheaded GTโs bowling with three wickets, but his effort wasnโt enough to defend the target.
Published By : Aniket Datta
Published On: 1 April 2026 at 14:37 IST