Last September in humid Lucknow, Cooper Connolly had a long chat with India A captain Shreyas Iyer. Part of the Australia A squad, Connolly picked Iyer’s brain on tackling spin.
The 22-year-old then struck a fluent 70, but little did he know that the 25-minute conversation at the Ekana Cricket Stadium had left a lasting impression on Iyer, now the captain of Punjab Kings.
A couple of months later, Punjab Kings snapped up the youngster for Rs 3 crore at the IPL mini auction.
“Luckily, he was there, and we had a good conversation. It was all about cricket,” Cooper Connolly told TimeofIndia.com in an exclusive 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,” said Connolly on playing alongside Iyer.
Cooper Connolly said his primary goal is to gain experience, learn from top players, and challenge himself against the best in the IPL. He expressed gratitude for being picked by Punjab Kings, calling it an honour, and is eager to grow under the guidance of the coaching staff and captain Shreyas, regardless of whether he gets to play.
The moment one of the paddles went up for me was just a moment where I thought, OK, I am going to go and challenge myself against the best in the world.
Cooper Connolly | Punjab Kings
“It felt so nice when the paddle went up. It was obviously nice,” he 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 said.
For Cooper Connolly, it has been a rollercoaster few months. He has made his international debut for Australia in all three formats and bagged an IPL contract. He admits that he has not had the chance to reflect because it has been surreal.
The youngster did not have a good series against Pakistan, where he looked all at sea. Then, in the T20 World Cup, he played only two matches and did reasonably well: taking three wickets in two games.
He [Shaun Marsh] is 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 is about reaching out to him when the time feels right.
Cooper Connolly | Punjab Kings
Now at Mullanpur, the youngster will have a chance to work with ex-Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, and over the next two-and-a-half months, he will have a chance to correct his technical glitches and become a more well-rounded all-round prospect.
The Perth-born Cooper Connolly, who has modelled his batting on Shaun Marsh, is also looking to emulate his idol.
“He’s 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.
“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,” said Connolly.
Punjab Kings will play their first match on March 31 at home against Gujarat Titans, and Connolly has teamed up with the squad and is ready for the biggest few weeks of his career, which could shape his future.
