After Pat Cummins, Punjab Kings’ Cooper Connolly travels to Australia for bowling fitness clearance

Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) highest scorer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Cooper Connolly, has returned. The 22-year-old from Perth has perhaps been the biggest positive surprise of the season. Making his IPL debut, Connolly played a match-winning, unbeaten 72-run knock and took PBKS across the line against the Gujarat Titans in a tricky chase.

Connolly’s willow stayed quiet for a couple of games, but he shocked everyone with his brutal hitting against the Lucknow Super Giants. Off to a rough start, 19 off 22, he ended up scoring 87 off 46. Meaning in his last 24 deliveries, he struck at 283.33 (68 runs). So far, the decision to promote him over Shreyas Iyer has worked wonders for PBKS.

Cooper Connolly in IPL 2026

Returns home for fitness clearance

However, 3 days before PBKS are to play the Delhi Capitals, Connolly has flown back home. The 22-year-old provided the update via a social media post. He didn’t mention why he had left PBKS’ camp, and the franchise hasn’t revealed anything yet either. But it’s not really difficult to understand why Connolly might have returned home.

You see, Connolly isn’t just a batter. He’s an all-rounder who bowls left-arm orthodox spin. In the previous franchise tournament, the 2025-26 Big Bash League, before IPL 2026, Connolly had taken 15 wickets in 11 innings for the Perth Scorchers.

However, much like another Australian all-rounder, Cameron Green, Connolly wasn’t granted permission to bowl. Cricket Australia (CA) had instructed him to play only as a batter until the end of April, since he was managing a back injury, the same as Green.

Cooper Connolly T20 bowling stats

We are just a week away from the restrictions ending. It can’t really be a coincidence that Connolly has returned home after playing 6 matches for PBKS. This doesn’t seem uncommon either. Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins had joined the franchise before IPL 2026 but returned home in early April.

It’s clear that CA won’t take an IPL franchise’s word. They’ll run the tests on their own, and unless the results show that Connolly, Cummins, Green, or Josh Hazlewood are ready, they won’t allow them to bowl. One has to remember that all are centrally contracted by CA and are their assets before PBKS or any other franchise.

It’s safe to assume that Connolly will be back soon. Perhaps even before the Delhi clash on April 25. Cummins has already joined Sunrisers, and his injury was a serious one that had seen him play just one match since last August.

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