Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Cooper Connolly has gone back to Australia for scans on his back but is anticipated to rejoin the team in time for their upcoming IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Connolly’s Instagram post from Perth led to speculation about his return for scans, although he did not clarify on social media. Cricket Australia had advised Connolly to play solely as a specialist batter until the end of April.
A source familiar with the situation mentioned, “Connolly has returned to Australia for a back scan, similar to Pat Cummins’ situation earlier. He is expected to reunite with the PBKS squad, who have just arrived in New Delhi, by tomorrow night. The scan results from Cricket Australia will determine if he can continue bowling in the remaining IPL matches.”
Connolly joined IPL 2026 with a back injury, limiting his role as a left-arm spinner for Punjab Kings. Despite this setback, the 22-year-old has been a significant contributor with the bat, scoring 223 runs in six matches. In a recent game against Lucknow Super Giants, he played a crucial innings of 87 runs off 46 balls, forming a formidable partnership with Priyansh Arya in a convincing 54-run victory in New Chandigarh.
Punjab Kings acquired Connolly for Rs three crore in the IPL 2026 mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi last year. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team leads the IPL 2026 points table with 11 points from six matches, maintaining an unbeaten record in the tournament.
