New Chandigarh, April 1
Skipper Shreyas Iyer praised debutant Cooper Connolly for his calm and composed innings after Punjab Kings registered a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in their Indian Premier League 2026 opener at the PCA's New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Chasing 163, Punjab Kings rode on Connolly's unbeaten 72 to cross the line in 19.1 overs despite losing wickets at regular intervals towards the end.
Iyer, who got injured during the chase, also spoke about his fitness, saying, "All I can say about the hand is that it's nice, same as it was before. I don't want to jinx anything."
The Punjab skipper was full of praise for Connolly's batting display. "Some of the shots he played were surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid," he said.
Iyer admitted there was a tense moment during the chase when Punjab lost quick wickets. "I was focused on my hand inside, icing it. Suddenly, we lost two wickets back-to-back; these things happen in the IPL. You have to stay composed, Cooper was there, he was composed and calm," he added.
He also revealed how the team assessed the pitch early in the game. "After the third over, we realised the wicket was slow. Arshdeep came and said it was holding a bit. We tried to make the ball old as soon as possible," Iyer said.
The captain also lauded Vijaykumar Vyshak, who took three wickets for his performance with the ball. "Vyshak is carrying forward the form he performed in the last season. He is a big match player," he noted.
Iyer also shared a light moment from the game, saying he was surprised by an unusual field placement. "I was surprised to see a short leg for me. I told Shubman I had never seen that before, it's good to see captains attacking," he said, referring to Shubman Gill.
Player of the Match Connolly expressed his delight after his impressive debut performance. "I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world-class players, but to put that performance in tonight, I'm very happy. I spent some time with friends and family at home before this just to reset," he said.
The Australian added that he prefers to play according to the situation. "I'm just more of a tempo player, feel the flow of my hands, don't hit too many big sixes ... working with Ricky is great. Not a lot was said; we were quite relaxed, in a great position out there, nice to get the win with Xavier, looking forward to the rest of the tournament," he said.
Connolly also spoke about facing Rashid Khan for the first time. "That was the first time I played Rashid Khan; it was nice to get the win," he added.
Punjab Kings will next face five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
- IANS
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