Cooper Connolly dream debut powers Punjab Kings to three wickets win over Gujarat Titans

New Chandigarh—Cooper Connolly needed only 44 deliveries to turn anticipation into adulation, carving an unbeaten 72 on debut to steer Punjab Kings past Gujarat Titans by three wickets in a pulsating IPL 2026 fixture at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

Chasing 163, Punjab wobbled early when impact substitute Priyansh Arya nicked behind for 7 off Kagiso Rabada in the second over. The setback merely stirred Prabhsimran Singh, who tore into Rabada with consecutive sixes to ignite a power surge that yielded 55 for 1 after six overs. Connolly, unfazed by the occasion, latched onto the tempo set by his senior partner and the pair amassed 76 for the second wicket, placing the pursuit on an even keel.

Rashid Khan’s introduction prised out Prabhsimran for 37 in the 10th over, yet captain Shreyas Iyer kept the asking rate in check with a pair of sixes before Prasidh Krishna found the top edge. What followed was a mid-innings wobble: Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis fell in a heap, trimming the equation to 45 required off the last five overs.

Throughout the chaos, Connolly refused to yield. The 22-year-old South Australian reached his maiden IPL fifty in 34 balls and, with tail-ender Xavier Bartlett for company, collected the remaining runs with five deliveries to spare. His knock featured five fours and an equal number of sixes, underlining a fearless approach that never allowed the required rate to balloon.

Prasidh Krishna’s 3 for 29 provided Gujarat their brightest spell, while Rabada, Rashid, Washington Sundar and Ashok Sharma claimed a scalp apiece, but the total proved just short.

Earlier, Punjab’s bowlers stifled a blazing start from Gujarat Titans. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan rocketed to 35 without loss inside three overs before Marco Jansen breached Sudharsan’s defence. Gill anchored until a 39-ball 39, ended by Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jos Buttler’s 38 kept the board ticking. Glenn Phillips’ brisk 25 hinted at a late burst, yet Vijaykumar Vyshak’s triple strike and Chahal’s twin blows limited the Titans to 162 for 6.

Vyshak returned 3 for 34, while Chahal’s miserly 2 for 28 ensured Punjab’s chase stayed within striking distance—an opportunity Connolly seized with both hands to script a dream debut and a vital early-season victory for the Kings.