Connelly’s Half-Century Secures Punjab Kings’ Victory in IPL 2026 Opener
March 31, Kathmandu – Cooper Connelly marked a remarkable debut by scoring a half-century, leading Punjab Kings to a victorious start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. On Tuesday at Mullanpur, Punjab defeated Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets, earning 2 points in the tournament. Chasing Gujarat’s target of 163 runs, Punjab reached the mark with 5 balls remaining and the loss of 7 wickets.
The 22-year-old Australian all-rounder Connelly did not bowl but played an impressive innings with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 72 runs off 44 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes. Opener Prabhsimran Singh contributed 37 runs, while captain Shreyas Iyer added 18 runs. Gujarat’s Impact Subba made his bowling debut in the second innings after 10 overs, taking 3 wickets conceding only 3 runs in his first 10 deliveries, applying pressure on Punjab. However, Connelly’s steady batting ultimately led Punjab to victory.
Gujarat, having lost the toss, batted first and posted 162 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs. Despite a strong start, Gujarat was unable to accelerate towards the end. Captain Shubman Gill scored 39 runs and Jos Buttler made 38 runs. At the halfway mark, Gujarat was in a commanding position at 84 for 2, but could only add 78 runs in the remaining 10 overs. Punjab’s Vijaykumar Vaishak took 3 wickets for 34 runs in 4 overs, while Yuzvendra Chahal claimed 2 wickets for 28 runs in his 4 overs. The IPL action continues on Wednesday with a clash between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.