“I love watching Shreyas Iyer bat” - PBKS all-rounder Cooper Connolly ahead of IPL 2026

Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly said that he is looking to learn, grow, and emulate his idol Shaun Marsh after joining the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The franchise purchased the 22-year-old Australian cricketer for ₹3 crore during the recent auction.

PBKS will begin their campaign against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 31 in New Chandigarh. Last season, the franchise suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final. Captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting will aim to secure the trophy this year.

I Love Watching Shreyas Iyer Bat - Cooper Connolly

Speaking exclusively to The Times of India, Cooper Connolly expressed immense enthusiasm about playing under Shreyas Iyer in challenging Indian pitch conditions during the tournament.

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"Luckily, he was there, and we had a good conversation. It was all about cricket," Cooper Connolly told TimeofIndia.com in an interview.

"Look, he's a world-class player. I love watching him bat. It just looks so easy. So it would be nice to pick his brain, understand him a bit, see how he goes about batting in Indian conditions, and put into practice what I can for my game in India. I'm just looking forward to learning from him," he added.

It's Just an Honour to Be a Part of It - Cooper Connolly

The young Australian player said that playing for Punjab Kings is a massive developmental opportunity. Cooper Connolly added that his main goal is to gain valuable experience against top players and improve his all-round skills under Ricky Ponting.

"It felt so nice when the paddle went up. It was obviously nice," Connolly said. "I think the main goal initially was just hoping that I would get picked up. Now it is just to go there, experience some quality cricket against some quality opposition, and learn from some quality players at Punjab and obviously a great coaching staff at Punjab."

"The moment one of the paddles went up for me was just a moment where I thought, OK, I'm going to go and challenge myself against the best in the world. It's obviously nice to get auctioned off for more than what I thought."

"It's just an honour to be a part of it and challenge myself against some quality opposition and just try to learn as much as I can, whether I play or not. I'm just looking forward to getting over there and learning and honing my skill sets," he added.

Shaun Marsh Is Someone I Can Approach For A Chat - Cooper Connolly

Cooper Connolly said that Shaun Marsh is his idol and that he often speaks to him about cricket. He added that he tries to copy Marsh’s batting style, especially his timing and ability to score runs in all formats.

“He's [Shaun Marsh] someone I can approach for a chat about cricket and his approach. More than anything, it's the way he plays that I try to model my game on, how he gives himself a chance in every format, his timing, and his ability to find the boundary. For me, it's about reaching out to him when the time feels right."

The young all-rounder also said that he still watches Marsh’s old highlights, especially his centuries, to learn from him. Connolly added that he picks key qualities from Marsh’s game and tries to use them to improve his own batting.

"He's been really good to me. I've always enjoyed watching him bat, and even now I go back to his highlights, especially his hundreds. It's about picking certain attributes from his batting and trying to incorporate them into my own game, because he was world-class."

Also read: Spencer Johnson ditches MS Dhoni’s CSK, set for delayed IPL 2026 arrival