Cooper Connolly made his IPL debut for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans on 1st April. The young talent scored 72 in his first outing and his composed batting helped the team to 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 her team secure a winning start.Preity took to Instagram to praise the young player and called her entry a “dream debut”. He also shared his joy at being presented with the Player of the Match trophy.
Tribute to Cooper Connolly by Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta shared a series of pictures of Cooper Connolly on Instagram. The “Dil Se” actor wrote, “What a night it was last night! What a game and what a dream debut for 22-year-old Cooper Connolly in IPL 2026.” His match-winning 44-ball 72 was an impressive knock that marked the arrival of this incredible young talent.”Preity Zinta also highlighted her composure under pressure and expressed how happy she was to be honored.
What surprised Preity Zinta
Preity was particularly impressed with Connolly’s awareness of the game: “What impressed me most about Cooper was not just the big, fancy shots he played, but his ability to read today’s game and keep a cool, calm head under pressure. It was a real pleasure to present him with the Player of the Match trophy and, yes, I couldn’t stop smiling.”He welcomed him to IPL and Punjab Kings saying, “Welcome to IPL and welcome to Punjab Kings Cooper. We at Sadda Squad are happy to have you as our young Sher… Keep it up and bring it on. Looking forward to more games and performances like this.”
Fan and team reactions
The official handle of Punjab Kings read: “Real heroes don’t make headlines; they make lives better!”Even the fans showered their praises. One wrote: “That’s a fantastic debut! Cooper Connolly’s 44-ball 72 is the kind of innings that heralds a player to the world.” Another commented: “Debut dreams under pressure and acting like an already seasoned pro, calm mindset with smart decision making makes this entry even more special, has a great future.”The young Australian deserves all these accolades as he performed effortlessly under pressure and gave Punjab Kings a winning start.
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.
