“Once again proven right by filling overseas slots with Australians” – Indian legend’s huge remark on PBKS coach after win over GT in IPL 2026

Former India cricketer R Ashwin praised Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach for retaining faith in his countrymen as Australians shone in the team’s nervy three-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Mullanpur, on Monday, March 31. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had three Australian players in their line-up namely, Marcus Stoinis, Cooper Connolly, and Xavier Bartlett.

PBKS also had other Australian options on the bench, such as Ben Dwarshuis and Mitchell Owen. While Marcus Stoinis did not have a massive say in the contest after recording a two-ball duck, the pair of Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett made a huge impact.

The overseas right-arm pacer returned figures of 0-36 off four overs in the first innings, but played a vital role towards the end of the run chase. Coming in at No.9 after Marco Jansen’s wicket, he struck Prasidh Krishna for a six off the first ball of the penultimate over to relieve some pressure.

Connolly, on the other hand, played a defining knock of 72 runs off 44 deliveries on his IPL debut. The all-rounder was named player of the match for his heroics as well.

Ashwin admitted that he was left surprised by Ponting’s call to play Bartlett instead of Azmatullah Omarzai, but stood corrected in the end.

“I thought before the start of the game that Azmatullah Omarzai should play. Dude, why is Bartlett playing? But the way Bartlett bowled and batted, Ricky Ponting once again proved right by filling all the overseas slots with Australians,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Cooper Connolly was PBKS‘ marquee signing at the IPL 2026 Auction after deciding to retain almost the entirety of the squad that finished runner-ups in the 2025 season. The southpaw, who is not yet cleared to bowl due to an injury, took over the No.3 spot in some fashion after Josh Inglis’ controversial exit.

“This is his first game in the IPL, it is not easy. The guy comes from Australia, has never played cricket in India. It was not a bouncy-type wicket, it was a skiddy wicket, and he adapted and played a very good innings. There was a lot of pressure near the end; even then, he held his nerve and finished the chase well. He is only 22 years old, he performed so well in the BBL, that he opened everyone’s eyes. He will also come to India to play the Test series,” Ashwin said of Connolly.

The youngster has been a massive prospect for Australia in recent years. He had not come into IPL 2026 in the best of form after a poor tour of Pakistan and the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. However, he has now made a major statement on his debut to almost single-handedly lead PBKS’ run chase.

“I like these games more than the 200-220 games” – R Ashwin on PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 match

The IPL 2026 had kick-started with a couple of high-scoring affairs, before a low-scoring encounter in Guwahati. PBKS’ win over GT found the balance in terms of runs produced as the competitive wicket produced 327 runs in 39.1 overs.

“I like these games more than the 200-220 games. There was something in the wicket, the bowlers got some help as well. In both innings, we saw the scoring rate decrease after the powerplay, the spinners also came into play. But in the end, PBKS, at the end, they have a lot of power, there is a lot of depth.” Ashwin added.

The action continues in the IPL, with the last game of the first set of fixtures set to be played on Wednesday, April 1, between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana Stadium.