Punjab Kings’ latest acquisition, Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly, opined that he is versatile and he is open to batting at any position the team feels is suitable for him in his maiden IPL season next year as well. Known for his aggressive batting style, sharp fielding and handy left-arm spin, Connolly was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 3 crore at the mini-auction earlier this month as well.
“I like to model my game on being able to be versatile in any position. So whether that’s at three, whether that’s in the middle, I’m happy to perform any role,” Connolly said at a virtual media interaction on Monday.
However, Punjab Kings are especially keen on his ability to finish matches and handle high-pressure situations, as highlighted by captain Shreyas Iyer post the auction as well.
READ HERE: Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On ODI Futures Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli
“I feel like I’m still learning the role at number three for the (Perth) Scorchers. It’s a role I enjoy. But if the role in the IPL is different, that’s totally understandable because it’s a world class team. To just be in the middle order would be sort of a nice opportunity just to sort of knuckle down and get to work in the middle order,” he added.
“I think over the last three years, it’s been about understanding how different the international level is. It’s about adjusting to that, understanding how bowlers are trying to get me out more and how I can counter that. I’ve had to earn the right to be in the Australian set-up. So it’s about learning from guys like Travis Head, Steve Smith, how they go about it and how they sort of train to all those standards. I’m just trying to tweak my game slowly and add more strings to it as I move forward,” he further shared.
Cooper Connolly also said that he is looking forward to working closely with Australia’s World Cup-winning captain, Ricky Ponting, who is the head coach of the Punjab Kings as well.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about him. 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. Everyone goes to this tournament (IPL) because it’s probably going to be the most competitive. And also looking forward to getting over there and challenging myself against some of the best bowlers in the world,” he stated.
“Yeah, it’s very different to Australia. We’ve obviously got some fast, bouncy wickets. But that challenge of playing spin is a challenge that is tough for everyone. So, it’s just about picking the brains of people that have done it for a long period of time and understanding how they go about it, I guess, add their method into my game and see how I can sort of play in those spinning conditions,” Cooper Connolly concluded.
