Arya, Connolly guide Punjab Kings to 54-run win over LSG
Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly slammed 93 and 87, respectively, as Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs in an IPL match here on Sunday.
Arya and Connolly added 182 runs in just 13.2 overs for a massively entertaining second wicket stand for PBKS, as they tallied 254/7, this IPL season's highest total, going past RCB's 250 for three.
LSG managed to dismiss the duo and Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer in quick succession but the home team had already built a superb launching pad by then for Marcus Stoinis (29) to cash in.
In reply, LSG could manage just 200 for 5 in 20 overs with skipper Rishabh Pant (43), opener Mitchell Marsh (40) and Aiden Markram (42) providing some resistance.
Earlier in the game, Priyansh Arya, one of the country's most exciting T20 batting talent alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, smashed his way to a magnificent 93 off just 37 balls as Punjab Kings blew the Lucknow Super Kings into smithereens, posting an imposing 254 for 7 in an IPL match here on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Delhi man joined hands with the next most talked about Australian batting talent Cooper Connolly, who also oozed class in his 45-ball-87.
The duo added an astounding 182 runs off just 80 balls with 16 sixes (9 from Priyansh and 7 from Connolly) and 12 fours shared between them.
If the Power play score of 63 for one was good, they were even better in the middle phase between overs 7th and 11th, in which 66 runs came.
Priyansh, the beefy southpaw, just stood and delivered with minimal footwork and maximum bat speed as balls flew thick and fast.
The full balls were muscled down the ground or over extra cover. The short and wide deliveries were slashed or ramped while bouncers on the shoulders were either pulled or hooked without an iota of expression on his face.
It seemed like a regular job for the man, who also learnt ropes from Gautam Gambhir's childhood coach, Sanjay Bhardwaj.
Connolly was in a different mould as his lofted sixes over extra cover and front-foot pull-shots into the deep mid-wicket stands would have even made his franchise coach, Ricky Ponting, proud.
Their batting styles were contrasting -- Priyansh scoring his half-century off just 19 balls and scoring the next 43 off 18 balls.
Connolly, on the other hand took some time as his 50 came off 35 deliveries but the next 37 came off 12.
Priyansh, who had a stellar first season, has been time and again proving that 2025 wasn't a mere flash in the pan.
The Delhi youngster was unfazed even as his opening partner Prabhsimran Singh was out first ball, nicking an outswinger from Mohammed Shami.
A clueless LSG skipper Rishabh Pant would certainly rue not taking the DRS when left-arm seamer Mohsin Khan had trapped Connolly in-front fairly early in the innings.
The replays confirmed that the TV umpire would have adjudged Connolly out.
Mohsin lost his confidence after that and gave 20 runs in his third over and the momentum slipped completely out of LSG's grasp.
The only saving grace for them was Prince Yadav (2/25 in 4 overs) who shone brightly as most of his colleagues were sent on a leather hunt. He was simply outstanding with his change of pace and blockhole deliveries.
Both Connolly and Priyansh were dismissed in quick succession when century was there for the taking.
The Indian youngster was ambitiously going for his 10th six, but Mitchell Marsh got him at the boundary ropes.
Even as LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen heaving a sigh of relief, the damage that had already been done by the Priyansh-Connoly pair seemed to be beyond repair.
