India, Dec. 22 -- Punjab Kings walked out of the IPL 2026 mini-auction with Cooper Connolly for INR 3 crore, and almost instantly, the framing followed: a young Australian all-rounder being spoken about as the Maxwell replacement type, especially after Glenn Maxwell was released and he chose to stay out of the 2026 auction.

That's the lens Connolly introduced through at PBKS: similar role expectations, similar chaos-potential, and the same job description - win games and leave impact.

In a recent interaction with the Indian media, Connolly was asked about the comparisons with Glenn Maxwell. He replied to it with humility while praising his senior compatriot. "Yeah, I think the comparisons to Maxie, I'll take it. But he is a world-class ...