Iyer praises Connolly after PBKS win over GT

April 1, 2026

New Chandigarh: Shreyas Iyer praised debutant Cooper Connolly for his calm and composed innings after Punjab Kings secured a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in their Indian Premier League 2026 opener at the PCA’s New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing 163, Punjab Kings rode on Connolly’s unbeaten 72 to cross the line in 19.1 overs despite losing wickets at regular intervals towards the end.

Iyer speaks on injury and pressure moments
Iyer, who sustained an injury during the chase, also spoke about his fitness, saying, “All I can say about the hand is that it’s nice, same as it was before. I don’t want to jinx anything.”

He admitted there was a tense phase when quick wickets fell. “I was focused on my hand inside, icing it. Suddenly, we lost two wickets back-to-back; these things happen in the IPL. You have to stay composed, Cooper was there, he was composed and calm,” he added.

Pitch assessment and bowling praise
The Punjab skipper revealed how the team assessed the pitch early on. “After the third over, we realised the wicket was slow. Arshdeep Singh came and said it was holding a bit. We tried to make the ball old as soon as possible,” Iyer said.

He also lauded Vijaykumar Vyshak, who picked up three wickets. “Vyshak is carrying forward the form he performed in the last season. He is a big match player,” he noted.

Connolly’s reaction and next clash
Player of the Match Connolly expressed his happiness after his impressive debut. “I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world-class players, but to put that performance in tonight, I’m very happy,” he said.

He also spoke about facing Rashid Khan for the first time and highlighted his approach of playing according to the situation.

Iyer also shared a light moment, mentioning he was surprised to see a short leg placed for him by Shubman Gill.

Punjab Kings will next face Chennai Super Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.