Punjab Kings will be taking on Chennai Super Kings in their next fixture on Friday in Chennai. While it was a Cooper Connolly show in the first match against Gujarat Titans, PBKS suffered a blow after captain Shreyas Iyer was hit on his wrist. However, assistant coach Brad Haddin has confirmed that the injury isn’t serious.
“There is no break (in the bone), which is a good thing. Now it is just about getting the swelling down and getting the movement back in the hand, so he should be right for tomorrow,” Haddin said.
The update has surely come as a relief for the Punjab side.
PBKS Begin IPL 2026 Campaign on Winning Note
Punjab Kings began the IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note after defeating Gujarat Titans by three wickets in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Cooper Connolly was the hero for the side as he chipped in with an unbeaten 72 off 44 to help the side chase down a target of 163.
Shreyas scored 18 off 11 before getting out to Prasidh Krishna. Earlier, opener and wicket-keeper batter Prabhsimran Singh struck 37 off 24. PBKS suffered some hiccups but Connolly got some support from Xavier Bartlett who hit 11* off just five deliveries including an important maximum to ease the pressure.
“Some of the shots that he played, it was surreal to watch. It was unbelievable. The back foot six off Rashid, one of the best bowlers in the IPL, to hit him so clearly and neatly, it was simply phenomenal,” captain Iyer lavished praise on Connolly after the match.
“Honestly speaking, I was focused on my hand inside, icing it and then suddenly we lost two wickets back-to-back. These things happen in the IPL and you have to remain calm and composed in such situations. So the message was pretty simple. Just take the game to the end and Cooper was there. He was pretty much set. And he’s got a great awareness as a player. I’ve seen him in the past as well, playing for Australia. He’s got a great mindset and hopefully he continues with the same form,” he added.
Prasidh Krishna picked up three wickets for 29 runs in four overs. Earlier, GT had posted 162/6 in 20 overs.
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