Cooper Connolly made his IPL debut on April 1 for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans. The young talent struck a match-winning 72 not out in his very first outing and his composed batting helped the team secure a victory in the opening match of IPL 2026 Preity Zinta, co-owner of Punjab Kings, was delighted as the 22-year-old Australian batsman scored an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to help his team secure a winning start.Preity took to Instagram to praise the young player and called his innings a “dream debut.” She also shared her joy at presenting him the Player of the Match trophy.
Preity Zinta’s praise for Cooper Connolly
Preity Zinta shared a series of snaps of Cooper Connolly on Instagram. The ‘Dil Se’ actress wrote, “What a night last night turned out to be ! What a game & what a dream debut for 22 year old Cooper Connolly in IPL 2026. It was an impressive match-winning knock 44 ball 72 that marked the arrival of this incredible young talent.”Preity Zinta also highlighted his composure under pressure and expressed how happy she was to honour him.
What impressed Preity Zinta
Preity was particularly impressed by Connolly’s game awareness, “What impressed me most about Cooper was not just the big & stylish shots he played, but his ability to read the game in the present, and keep a cool & calm head under pressure. It was truly my pleasure to present the Player of the match trophy to him & yes I couldn’t stop smiling.”She welcomed him to the IPL and Punjab Kings, saying, “Welcome to the IPL and welcome to Punjab Kings Cooper. We are beyond thrilled to have you in Sadda Squad as our young Sher… Keep it up & bring it on. Looking forward to many more games & performances like this.”
Fan and team reactions
The Punjab Kings official handle commented, “Real heroes don’t make headlines; they make lives better!”Fans also showered praise. One wrote, “That’s a fantastic debut write-up! Cooper Connolly’s 44-ball 72 is exactly the kind of innings that announces a player to the world.” Another commented, “Dream debut under pressure and already playing like a seasoned pro, calm mindset with smart decision making makes this innings even more special, big future ahead for him.”The young Australian deserves all these praises as he played effortlessly under pressure and gave a winning start for Punjab Kings.
Preity Zinta’s Bollywood journey
Preity Zinta remains one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood. Her last lead role was in the 2018 action-comedy ‘Bhaiaji Superhit’, where she played Sapna Dubey. Unfortunately the film received mixed reviews.
