Mumbai, April 2 Actress and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta was over the moon after debutant Cooper Connolly delivered a stunning match-winning performance on his debut in the Indian Premier League 2026.
Preity took to her Instagram account, where she shared a string of images of the 22-year-old Australian cricketer and heaped praise on him for his composed and impactful innings, describing it as a “dream debut” that announced the arrival of a promising new talent.
“What a night last night turned out to be ! What a game & what a dream debut for 22 year old Cooper Connolly in IPL 2026. It was an impressive match winning knock 44 ball 72 that marked the arrival of this incredible young talent,” she wrote.
Preity highlighted that what stood out most was Connolly’s ability to read the game and maintain a calm mindset in high-pressure moments. She also expressed her delight at presenting him with the Player of the Match trophy, calling it a proud and joyful moment.
“What impressed me most about Cooper was not just the big & stylish shots he played, but his ability to read the game in the present, and keep a cool & calm head under pressure. It was truly my pleasure to present the Player of the match trophy to him & yes I couldn’t stop smiling,” she added.
Welcoming him warmly to both the league and the franchise, she added, “Welcome to the IPL and welcome to Punjab Kings Cooper. We are beyond thrilled to have you in Sadda Squad as our young Sher… Keep it up & bring it on. Looking forward to many more games & performances like this.”
Debutant Cooper Connolly struck a match-winning 72 not out in his first IPL outing as Punjab Kings made a winning start to IPL 2026 on April 1.
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