From Perth to Punjab: Cooper Connolly's rapid rise to global spotlight

Let's start with a quiz question: who holds the record for the best bowling figures by an Australia spinner in ODIs?

Shane Warne? No. Adam Zampa? Try again. Brad Hogg? Not really.

The answer is Andrew Symonds, but if you count him as an all-sorts bowler, the next on the list is Cooper Connolly, who took 5 for 22 against South Africa in Mackay earlier this year. At 22 years and two days, Connolly also became the youngest Australian to take a five-for in ODIs.

And left-arm spin is only his secondary skill. His primary job is batting, especially power-hitting, which is why Punjab Kings bought him for INR 3 crore (AUD 500,000 approx.) at the recent IPL auction.

Born and raised in Perth, Connolly modelled his batting on fellow Western Australia batter Shaun Marsh. Coincidentally, Marsh too had started his IPL career with the same franchise, in 2008, and had emerged as the leading run-getter of the season.

"Shaun Marsh was a hell of a player; if anyone has half of his career, you've done well," Connolly says of the prospect of emulating his hero. "I still speak to him occasionally. I think the main thing I've taken from him is his ability to handle situations - no matter whether it's three for not many or one for something - just being able to control his emotions and do whatever the team needs.

"I'm sure over the next couple of months, I'll speak to him about his time over at Punjab, how he enjoyed it, and what worked for him. But yeah, I'd like to leave a legacy at Punjab. If I get the opportunity, hopefully I can sort of etch my name in history and win the trophies for Punjab."

While the IPL comes with its own set of challenges, Connolly is no stranger to grand occasions. Touted for bigger things from a young age, he first caught the attention of the wider world at the 2022-23 BBL final against Brisbane Heat. With Perth Scorchers needing 38 from 19 balls with five down, he blitzed 25 not out off 11 to seal the deal.

The following season, he made his first-class debut against Tasmania, in the Sheffield Shield final no less. Once again batting at No. 7, he scored 90 in the first innings, playing a key role in Western Australia's eventual victory.

From the outside, he may appear relaxed most of the time, even singing songs between the balls. But that's his way of calming himself down - a method he used during the Adelaide ODI against India a couple of months ago. He went on to score an unbeaten half-century in a tricky chase and win the game for Australia.

"Obviously, there are more nerves for bigger games," he says. "But for me, it's just trying to prepare the same for every game. That's what I've always done growing up, just trying to get consistency in my preparation because that is going to give me the best chance to perform in the middle.

"And working with the coaches back at home - they understand my game, so ticking boxes with them three-four times a week, making sure I'm doing the right thing and getting some feedback."

At the last BBL, Connolly was promoted up the order. Batting at No. 3 and 4, he scored 351 runs in ten innings at an average of 50.14 and a strike rate of 131.46. He was the third-highest run-getter and the joint Player of the Tournament along with Glenn Maxwell. He has started the current season on an even better note, with scores of 59 off 31 and 77 off 37.

For someone who has played most of his cricket in Australia, the biggest challenge at the IPL will be slow, albeit flat, Indian pitches. Connolly, though, seems to have the game for it: he averages 65.00 with a strike rate of 146.06 against spin in T20 cricket.

He has shown his wares in India as well. A couple of months ago, he topped the charts for a touring Australia A side during the 50-over leg. Batting at No. 3, he smashed 147 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 145.54.

"It's very different to Australia," he says. "We've obviously got some fast, bouncy wickets. But I think playing spin is a challenge that is tough for everyone. So it's just about picking the brains of people who have done it for a long period of time, understanding how they go about it and adding their method into my game to see how I can play in those spinning conditions. It's sort of trying to understand it as quickly as I can, so I get the best out of myself in the middle."

Among those whose brains Connolly wants to pick are Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer and their head coach Ricky Ponting.

"When I was over there for Australia A vs India A, I spoke to Shreyas a little bit and just watching him go about his work - and even watching him in Australia - he's a world-class player. So I'm keen to pick his brains a little bit and understand how he goes about it and what makes him successful.

"I've heard a lot of good things about Ricky. I haven't done a lot of work with him just yet. So I'm looking forward to spending some time with him and sort of doing some tweaks to my batting and seeing what his thoughts are on it."

It will also be interesting to see at what number Connolly slots in for Punjab Kings. Though he enjoys batting at No. 3, he has been successful lower down the order as well. In fact, he has batted everywhere from No. 1 to 7 in his still-fledgling career.

"I like to model my game on being versatile, so whether that's at three, whether that's in the middle, I'm happy to perform any role," he says. "I feel like I'm still learning the role at No. 3 for Scorchers, but yeah, it's a role I enjoy. If the role in the IPL is different, that's totally understandable. To just be in the middle order would be sort of a nice opportunity."

While his bowling remains a work in progress, it did help him earn his Test cap despite having played only four first-class matches previously. In the last 50 years, Pat Cummins is the only other man to have played Test cricket for Australia with fewer first-class games under his belt.

"I'm still developing my game with the ball but it's super exciting," Connolly says. "I'm just going to try to develop my bowling as much as I can. It's something I've been working hard on and over the last three years, I feel like it is starting to slowly become a threat."

The whole package makes him a potential replacement for Maxwell, not just at Punjab Kings but also in Australia's white-ball teams in the near future.

"I think the comparison to Maxi is… I'll take it, but he's a world-class player. I'm a long way from being as good as him. The only thing I'm looking forward to is playing some positive cricket and looking to win games for Punjab. Obviously, last year, they didn't quite win the whole thing, but this year looks promising."

For now, though, Connolly's complete focus is on the BBL. He knows a good performance can put him in contention for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

"I'd love to play in the T20 World Cup," he says. "There's still a bit of time before the squad is selected and we've got some Big Bash cricket to play. But if I get that opportunity, it'd be another chance to represent Australia and hopefully win a game for Australia. Obviously, I have my eyes on being selected in that team. But there are a lot of good players to be picked from. So just looking forward to the next couple of games for Perth Scorchers and then if I am selected, I am sure I will enjoy it, and hopefully we can go deep into the tournament."