Major Update! PBKS' bowling could get extra hands ahead of their clash vs DC in IPL 2026

Punjab Kings (PBKS) has been in stunning form since the beginning of IPL 2026. With back-to-back wins, they remain undefeated and the table leaders as well as the only undefeated team in this season. 

Ahead of PBKS’ next match, which will be on the upcoming Saturday, against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitly Stadium, several social media posts spark speculations about the Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly.

Speculations spark around PBKS star Cooper Connolly

The Aussie all-rounder, who has performed as a pure batter in the season for PBKS, shared a photo in his Instagram story.  He shared a picture of North Beach in Perth. This Instagram story went viral instantly among cricket fans on social media platforms. Fans have started wondering whether the all-rounder has returned to his homeland in Australia in the middle of IPL 2026.

It is not clear whether Cooper Connolly has returned home or not, as this photo may not be new either. Some other cricket fans are speculating about his fitness. Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, the 22-year-old had a back injury, for which he has so far played only as a batter, not as an all-rounder. Because of precautionary measures, Cricket Australia restricted Cooper from his bowling duties with the Punjab Kings.

Read More: Will MS Dhoni play MI vs CSK clash in IPL 2026? Latest fitness update revealed

Cooper Connolly had a back injury issue

Some reports circulating on X suggest he could have gone for a fitness check in Australia. One of the post’s captions, circulating on the social media platform ‘X’, reads, “Cooper Connolly has gone for scans on his earlier back injury. If the reports are clear, he could get the green signal to bowl.”

In the same post, it is commented, “I got this from a reliable source—and even the Copper Connolly story says the same thing: he’s not in India.”

According to the news agency IANS, the PBKS star goes to Australia for a medical scan and is expected to link up with PBKS again, ahead of their clash against DC in Delhi.

Media report confirmed the development

“Yes, Connolly has gone back to Australia for a scan on his back. It’s similar to what Pat Cummins did earlier. Connolly is likely to rejoin the PBKS squad, who have arrived in New Delhi this afternoon, by tomorrow night. The scan reports run by CA will give the franchise a clearer picture of whether he can bowl in the rest of their IPL campaign,” a source close to the development informed the news agency.

Connolly started the IPL 2026 campaign as an opener and then made his place permanent as the number three batter of the team. So far, he has done his job brilliantly. In 6 matches and 5 innings, Connolly has scored 223 runs with a strike rate of 163.97 and a batting average of 55.75.

Copper Connolly’s batting stats for PBKS in IPL 2026:

Connolly was roped in by PBKS for INR 3 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi last year.