Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta was seen encouraging all-rounder Cooper Connolly to say ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ ahead of their IPL 2026 game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 3, Friday at the Chepauk. In one of the podcasts of the franchise, the Bollywood actress encouraged the spin-bowling all-rounder to say ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ and he did so with full gumption.
Preity Zinta explains the significance of Lord Hanuman to Cooper Connolly
In a small clip that was uploaded from the podcast on X, Zinta explained that Lord Hanuman denotes strength and power, with the spirit of Punjab also signifying the same emotion. The 51-year-old said:
“So, you might be born Australian but you’re Punjabi by choice now. You have the Punjabi spirit. And today is your first game. So, of course, it was played on a Tuesday. So, Tuesday is for us. It’s Hanumanji, which is the Indian God of strength and power. His day. So, let’s hear you say, Jai Bajrangbali. So, that means you’ll always be strong, you’ll always be powerful and you’ll always be protected. So, that’s your welcome into Punjab Kings.”
With the blessings of Bajrang Bali, 𝐁𝐀𝐒 𝐉𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐍𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐈! 💪
Full video coming soon on our YouTube channel! 📹 pic.twitter.com/embj7Pdc4t
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 2, 2026
Cooper Connolly shines on IPL debut to script victory for Punjab Kings
Making his IPL debut in Mullanpur against the Gujarat Titans, Connolly played an outstanding knock of 72* to help the Punjab Kings open their campaign with a victory. Although the youngster cannot bowl for now, he ensured to play a critical role with the bat. The Perth-born cricketer, who fetched ₹3 crore from the franchise, struck five fours and as many sixes in his 44-ball knock as PBKS nailed the tricky run-chase of 163 with five balls to spare.
Punjab Kings will back themselves to beat the Super Kings, who opened their campaign with a resounding eight-wicket defeat to the Rajasthan Royals.
