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Playing his first IPL season, Punjab Kings all-rounder Cooper Connolly has set his sights on winning the title with the franchise, while acknowledging the legacy of Australian greats who have previously represented the team.
Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, have made a strong start to IPL 2026 and remain unbeaten so far. Last season's runners-up will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mullanpur on Saturday. Over the years, several prominent Australian cricketers such as Shaun Marsh, Adam Gilchrist, Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell have been associated with the Punjab franchise. Connolly, one of the newest additions, hopes to carve out his own path while contributing to the team's success. Connolly spoke on JioStar Press Room ahead of the IPL 2026 Rivalry Week and said, "I think you obviously want to win IPL trophies. And that's something that everyone wants to win. I think leaving a legacy is obviously quite nice. But those names that you mentioned, they're world-class players. And I think I've got a lot of work to catch up to them. I'm just concentrated on what's in front of me at the moment." Connolly wants to put his best foot forward for the team and help them win the IPL trophy. "Obviously, you're going into a team, and you want to leave something behind. Hopefully, that's an IPL trophy this year. But I think it's about just playing my role and just trying to put my best foot forward for this team," he said. Connolly, who idolised Shaun Marsh while growing up, now shares the dressing room with Australia's T20I captain Mitchell Marsh. He also represents Western Australia in domestic cricket, much like the Marsh brothers. Shaun Marsh had famously made an immediate impact for Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, scoring an unbeaten 84 on debut against Deccan Chargers. Interestingly, Connolly has mirrored that impact early in his IPL career. The left-handed batter announced himself with a match-winning unbeaten 72 off 44 balls on debut against Gujarat Titans, guiding Punjab Kings to a three-wicket win while chasing 163 and earning the Player of the Match award. Reflecting on his admiration for Marsh, Connolly said, "I enjoyed watching Shaun Marsh while growing up. Luckily enough, I'm quite close with Mitch and Shaun, which is always nice. So I sort of obviously play with Mitch now. But yeah, I've had some communications with Shaun when he was still playing, and I really enjoyed that." On comparisons in their batting styles, he added, "Some people say the cover drive. I think his is a bit more elegant than mine. But yeah, I used to just love watching him, but I had so much time. And he just played the game on his terms, and that's what I appreciate. And I guess that's some sort of way I want to play my game. There's still a lot of cricket to go in this tournament. I'm sure I'll touch base with him at some point." (ANI)
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