IPL Players LIVE Auction: PBKS Outbid KKR to Sign Australia’s Cooper Connolly for ₹3 Crore
PBKS outbid KKR in a fierce auction battle to sign Australian prospect Cooper Connolly for ₹3 crore, while Baroka, Rathee and Cariappa go unsold.
Punjab Kings celebrate after winning a bidding war against KKR to sign Australian star Cooper Connolly during the IPL players live auction.
The IPL players live auction provided another thrilling battle as Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fought to get the Australian newcomer Cooper Connolly. However, Tejas Baroka, Mohit Rathee, and KC Cariappa did not find any buyers and remained unsold, while the auction floor was instantly set on fire by the presence of Connolly.
Led by mentor Venky Mysore, KKR entered the bidding first but PBKS—under the leadership influence of Shreyas Iyer—quickly entered the battle. The result was a tight bidding war that highlighted Connolly’s increasing fame in international and franchise cricket. Eventually, PBKS maintained their composure and made the agreement at ₹3 crore, thus bringing another lively Australian player to their side.
Having demonstrated his abilities in age-group and senior-level cricket through his outstanding fielding, classy handling of critical moments, and overall force with bat and balls, Connolly is now regarded as a long-term prospect for PBKS. His domestic and junior international displays have already tagged him as a possible future superstar for PBKS and a suggested move to deepen one of their IPL-season-related areas of strength and quality.
