NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings youngster Cooper Connolly etched his name into IPL history on Wednesday with a sensational unbeaten century against Sunrisers Hyderabad, becoming the youngest overseas batter ever to score a hundred in the tournament.The 22-year-old Australian produced a breathtaking lone-hand effort at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, smashing an unbeaten 107 off just 59 deliveries during PBKS’ chase of 236. Despite his heroics, SRH secured a commanding 33-run victory to climb to the top of the IPL 2026 standings.
Connolly, aged 22 years and 257 days, broke Quinton de Kock’s decade-old record to become the youngest overseas centurion in IPL history.
Youngest overseas batter to score a century in IPL
- 22y 257d – Cooper Connolly (PBKS) vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2026
- 23y 122d – Quinton de Kock (DD) vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2016
- 23y 153d – David Warner (DD) vs KKR, Delhi, 2010
- 23y 330d – David Miller (KXIP) vs RCB, Mohali, 2013
- 23y 352d – Cameron Green (MI) vs SRH, Wankhede, 2023
Connolly’s unbeaten 107 also became only the second IPL century by a PBKS batter at the age of 22, joining Prabhsimran Singh on the elite list.PBKS centuries at age 22 in IPL
- 103 – Prabhsimran Singh vs DC, Delhi, 2023
- 107 – Cooper Connolly vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2026
The left-hander’s eight sixes were also the most by a PBKS batter aged 22 in an IPL innings, surpassing his own previous best of seven maximums earlier this season against Lucknow Super Giants.SRH bowlers derail chase earlyChasing a daunting 236, Punjab’s innings collapsed almost immediately under relentless pressure from SRH’s disciplined bowling attack.Priyansh Arya departed for one in the opening over before Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed Prabhsimran 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 four overs.While wickets tumbled around him, Connolly stood tall with a fearless counterattack. He found support from Marcus Stoinis (28 off 14), Suryansh Shedge (25 off 17) and Marco Jansen (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 ended on 202/7.The victory lifted SRH to the top of the table with 14 points from 11 matches, while PBKS slipped to second after their third successive defeat.
