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Sanjay Bangar Hails Cooper Connolly’s Consistency After Maiden IPL Ton

Sanjay Bangar has praised Cooper Connolly's growing consistency and understanding of his batting strengths in IPL 2026. Connolly scored an unbeaten 107 off 59 balls against SRH, becoming the youngest overseas batter to hit an IPL century. Despite his heroics, PBKS failed to chase down 236 and lost their third consecutive match. Bangar highlighted Connolly's ability to play through the offside and back his strengths as a young batter.

Key Points: Bangar: Connolly Shows Consistency for PBKS

  • Sanjay Bangar praises Cooper Connolly's consistency
  • Connolly hits maiden IPL century (107* off 59)
  • PBKS suffer third straight defeat vs SRH
  • Connolly becomes youngest overseas batter to score IPL ton
2 min read

Sanjay Bangar hails Cooper Connolly's consistency for PBKS

Sanjay Bangar praises Cooper Connolly’s consistency and offside play. Connolly hits maiden IPL century but PBKS lose to SRH by 236 runs.

"He understands his scoring areas well, prefers playing through the offside, and backs his strengths. - Sanjay Bangar"

Mumbai, May 8

Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar has praised young Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly for his growing consistency and clear understanding of his batting strengths in the ongoing Indian Premier League season with Punjab Kings.

Speaking on Star Sports, JioStar expert Bangar highlighted Connolly's immediate impact and maturity at the top level, noting that the youngster has adapted quickly to the demands of the shortest format.

"He made an immediate impact for Punjab Kings, starting from his very first game against GT with a useful knock. Since then, he has been fairly consistent, and while a few failures are expected in T20 cricket, his overall contribution has been solid," Bangar said.

He also pointed out Connolly's ability to identify and stick to his scoring zones, particularly his preference for shots through the offside.

"He understands his scoring areas well, prefers playing through the offside, and backs his strengths. That is always encouraging to see in a young batter developing his all-round game," he added.

Meanwhile, the Punjab-based franchise suffered their third defeat on the trot in IPL 2026 when they failed to chase down a 236-run target against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday despite an unbeaten ton by Cooper Connolly. Playing just his 10th IPL match, Connolly hit his maiden T20 century at Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad, but could not take his side past the winning line.

The 22-year-old also became the youngest overseas batter to hit an IPL century. He made 107 not out off 59 balls with the help of seven fours and eight sixes. He has made 377 runs for PBKS and is the leading run-scorer for the franchise so far.

SRH posted a massive 235/4, powered by fifties from Heinrich Klaasen (69*) and Ishan Kishan (55), along with quick starts from Head and Abhishek. Chahal was the only bowler who stood out for PBKS with the figures of 1/32 in 4 overs.

Coming to SRH's bowling, Pat Cummins rotated his bowlers effectively to ensure PBKS never gained the momentum needed for a miracle. Cummins (2/34), Shivang Kumar (2/45), Sakib Hussain (1/40) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/11 in 2 overs) were the wicket takers for the hosts.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
Impressive knock from Connolly, but 236 is a huge total. SRH's batting lineup is just terrifying - Klaasen, Kishan, Head, Abhishek - it's like a batting superpower. Bangar is right about consistency though; young players who know their scoring zones are rare. Connolly seems to have that clarity.
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Priya S
Third consecutive loss for PBKS - that's worrying! While Connolly's century is brilliant, cricket is a team game. We need our Indian bowlers to step up too. Arshdeep has been inconsistent, and the others are leaking runs. Hope the management has a plan, because the batting talent is clearly there. Abhi bowling ki zindagi hai! 😅
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James A
Sanjay Bangar's analysis is spot on. Connolly's offside play reminds me of a young Steve Smith - not textbook but effective. Becoming the youngest overseas IPL centurion at 22 is no joke. But Pat Cummins outsmarted PBKS with his bowling changes - that's why he's the captain!
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Vikram M
I've been watching IPL for years, and this kid Connolly has something special. He doesn't just swing wildly - there's a method to his madness. 377 runs in 10 matches as an overseas all-rounder is fantastic. But PBKS need to support him better. Our bowling attack looks toothless without a genuine wicket-taker apart from Chahal.
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Kavya N
I'm not convinced yet. One century doesn't make a career. Let's see how Connolly performs under pressure in

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