Connolly hopes to be a 'leader' for Scorchers, and has one eye on IPL

On Tuesday, two days after Perth Scorchers launch the season at home against Sydney Sixers, Cooper Connolly will momentarily take his mind off this BBL campaign and nervously wait to see if he earns a maiden IPL contract.

Left-arm spinning allrounder Connolly, who at 22 has already represented Australia across all formats, has been bandied around in the lead-up to the IPL auction. Lucknow Super Giants - coached by Western Australia cricket great Justin Langer - and Gujarat Titans are among the teams reportedly interested in Connolly's all-round versatility.

"I've put my name in for a reason. It would be a nice opportunity to go play there and compete with the best," Connolly told ESPNcricinfo. "Looking forward to sitting down and watching the auction. It would be a nice honour to go to the IPL. It's exciting."

Connolly's superb clutch performance against India in the recent three-game ODI series will no doubt have caught the eye of IPL powerbrokers and increase his prospect of a potentially lucrative deal.

With Australia wobbling at 132 for 4 chasing 265 in Adelaide, Connolly came to the crease having only made 10 runs in three previous ODI innings. In 13 matches across all forms for Australia he had reached double figures just once from six innings.

The added spotlight of playing India, desperately trying to keep the series alive, added to the anticipation. "Walking out to the crease, I was very nervous and probably the most nervous I've been in a long time playing cricket," Connolly said.

But he quickly settled down, delivering a near-flawless 61 not out from 53 balls to guide Australia to a series victory. "Once I faced a few balls and started to get going, things started to flow and you almost forgot who you're playing against," he said.

"It was a nice moment. If I'm ever struggling or I'm not sure where my game's at, that's an innings I can rewatch and see what it was like when I played at my best."

The composed knock reinforced Connolly's knack of performing under pressure, having most notably emerged from obscurity to carry Scorchers to the BBL title in 2022-23 in just his fourth match and second innings.

"From underage cricket to getting into the senior ranks, there's always been the side of me that wants to win the game," Connolly said. "I think it's just that drive of wanting to be the one to win the game. It's the best way to go about it - don't make it someone else's responsibility.

"My dad played a big role in mentoring me. I try to control my emotions and just focus on the task."

Connolly enters the BBL season in strong form having most recently smashed 88 off 92 balls for Australia A against England Lions, while he also performed well on an A tour of India in September-October.

He looms as a talismanic figure for Scorchers, the most successful team in BBL history but who missed finals last season for just the third time. Connolly's growing heft means he will be relied upon to help spark this powerhouse team that has fallen back among the pack over the last couple of seasons.

Connolly is set to start at No. 3 having successfully elevated to the No.3 and No.4 roles last season, where he was named player of the tournament after scoring the most runs in the league stage.

Connolly will bat behind the powerful opening combination of Mitchell Marsh and Finn Allen, offering the batting line-up versatility marked by an apparent ease at shifting gears depending on the situation.

He has the composure to anchor an innings, but also boasts an uncanny knack of unfurling the most mesmerising shots which has seen him likened to Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.

"It's just about prioritising what the team needs from me," Connolly said. "I'm looking forward to playing a role this year and hopefully being a great leader for this group now that I've played a few seasons."

At this stage of his still fledgling career, Connolly is certainly a much stronger batter than spin bowler even though his only noteworthy contribution in international career before his maiden half-century was a five-wicket haul in an ODI against South Africa in Mackay. The 5 for 22 are the best figures by an Australia spinner in men's ODIs.

But Connolly has continued to work on his slow left-arm orthodox and will be looking to build on last season's encouraging output, where he took six wickets and started to be relied upon in more favourable spinning conditions on the east coast.

Connolly made his Test debut earlier in the year in Sri Lanka to some derision having to that point gone wicketless from 96 deliveries in his first-class career.

It's still clearly a work in progress, but Connolly is showing signs of improvement and has taken five first-class wickets since, including 2 for 59 from 15 overs against South Australia in a recent Shield match at the WACA.

"Right now, I would say my bowling is steady but I'm trying to evolve and get better at it," he said. "I want to become more of a threat with the ball and it's going to take a bit of time to get to that point. But hopefully I can be a good option for the team this season."

Connolly is a significant player of interest across formats for Australia's hierarchy. His surprising Test selection in Sri Lanka was an opportunity to give him a run in subcontinent conditions ahead of Australia's potentially legacy-defining tour of India in early 2027.

With an eye towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, Connolly will have an opportunity to press for regular selection in an ODI team transitioning after the retirements of Maxwell and Steven Smith.

Connolly is perhaps a little bit further away at the T20I level given Australia's depth of talent but he will be under consideration for their T20 World Cup squad, particularly given the event is in India and Sri Lanka.

While he is right now probably outside the frame, a strong start to the BBL could see him rise up the pecking order. "It would be a nice honour to represent Australia at the T20 World Cup," Connolly said. "If you're playing well, things will take care of themselves.

"But I'm just concentrating on the Scorchers. We've got a special group and we're hoping to bring back a title for the fans and everyone at the club."

It has been a whirlwind year for Connolly, and it's not over just yet with a couple of big days in front of him.