Punjab Kings pacer Cooper Connolly celebrates his maiden IPL century. (Image credit: IPL)
New Delhi: Punjab Kings youngster Cooper Connolly etched his name in IPL history on Wednesday with a sensational unbeaten century against Sunrisers Hyderabad, becoming the youngest outside batsman ever to score a hundred in the tournament.The 22-year-old Australian produced a stunning solo effort at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, smashing an unbeaten 107 off just 59 during PBKS’ chase of 236. Despite their heroics, SRH registered a solid 33-run win to climb to the top of the IPL 2026 standings.
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At 22 years and 257 days, Connolly broke Quinton de Kock’s decade-old record to become the youngest overseas centurion in the history of the Indian Premier League.
The youngest overseas batsman to score a century in IPL
- 22y 257d – Cooper Connolly (PBKS) v SRH, Hyderabad, 2026
- 23y 122d – Quinton de Kock (DD) vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2016
- 23 years and 153 days – David Warner (DD) v KKR, Delhi, 2010
- 23y 330d – David Miller (KXIP) vs RCB, Mohali, 2013
- 23y 352d – Cameron Green (MI) v SRH, Wankhede, 2023
Connolly’s unbeaten 107 also became only the second IPL century by a PBKS batsman at the age of 22, joining Prabhsimran Singh in the elite list.PBKS centuries at the age of 22 in IPL
- 103 – Prabhsimran Singh v. DC, Delhi, 2023
- 107 – Cooper Connolly v SRH, Hyderabad, 2026
The left-hander’s eight sixes were also the most by the 22-year-old PBKS batsman in an IPL innings, surpassing his previous best of seven maximums earlier this season against Lucknow Super Giants.SRH bowlers go off the rails earlyChasing an arduous 236, Punjab’s innings collapsed almost immediately under relentless pressure from SRH’s disciplined bowling attack.
Priyansh Arya left for one in the opener before Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Prabbhasimran Singh cheaply. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer then fell for just five after being removed by Eshan Malinga, leaving the visitors in deep trouble at 23/3 inside their four overs.As wickets fell around him, Connolly stood tall with a brave counter-attack. He found support from Marcus Stoinis (28 off 14), Suryansh Shidge (25 off 17) and Marko Janssen (19), but the asking rate remained above 15 for most of the chase.Connolly eventually brought up his maiden IPL century in just 57 balls, finishing unbeaten with seven fours and eight sixes as PBKS finished on 202/7.With this victory, SRH rose to the top of the standings with 14 points from 11 matches, while PBKS fell to second place after its third defeat in a row.