A new star may have just arrived in the IPL and his name is Cooper Connolly. The 22 years old Australian all-rounder made an immediate impact on his debut for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur on March 31, showing confidence and power from the moment he walked in to bat.
Coming in at No. 3 during a chase of 163, Cooper Connolly looked completely at ease. By the end of 13 overs, he had already scored 47 runs off 30 balls, including two fours and four sixes. One of those sixes became the highlight of the match when he smashed Rashid Khan for a massive 103-metre hit straight down the ground. The shot left Rashid Khan visibly stunned and his reaction quickly went viral online.
Here is the video in which you can see Rashid Khan's reaction:
Cooper Connolly, who has already represented Australia in all the three formats, built a crucial 76-run partnership for the second wicket with Prabhsimran Singh. The Indian batter played his part with a quick 37 off 24 balls, hitting one four and four sixes. Two of those sixes came on consecutive deliveries in an over bowled by Kagiso Rabada, helping Punjab maintain control of the chase.
While the batters dominated much of the game, there was also an unusual moment with the ball. Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh ended up bowling an 11-ball over while delivering the final over of Gujarat Titans' innings. He struggled with his line, sending down four wides and a no-ball before completing the required six legal deliveries.
This rare occurrence has only happened a few times in the IPL history. Bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Tushar Deshpande, Shardul Thakur, Sandeep Sharma and Hardik Pandya have also had similar overs in the past. Siraj was the first to record this in the IPL 2023 while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru. Interestingly, even in the IPL 2025, three bowlers ended up delivering 11-ball overs, showing how unpredictable the format can be.