Cooper Connolly Calls Shami A World-Class Player, Reflects On Memorable Champions Trophy Semi-Final Experience

March 14, 2025: With Matthew Short sidelined due to injury ahead of Australia’s Champions Trophy semi-final clash, the team management made a bold decision to bring in Cooper Connolly as the opener alongside Travis Head. While Connolly was dismissed early by Mohammed Shami, the 21-year-old made an important mark by dismissing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in a tense semi-final chase, as reported by the official website of the ICC.

Reflecting on his debut semi-final appearance in the midst of the Sheffield Shield season, Connolly shared his excitement about representing his country. “As a kid, you always want to represent your country, and to walk out there in a semi-final was an unbelievable experience, and I’ll take a lot of learnings from it,” Connolly said.

Connolly’s early dismissal came at the hands of Shami, who bowled a beautiful out-swinging delivery to dismiss him in the power play. Despite the early setback, Connolly would go on to contribute significantly with the ball.

“It was a great game of cricket, and I think we took a lot of learnings as a group from that,” Connolly added. Though Connolly was part of an early chance to dismiss Rohit Sharma off a dropped catch, he put the incident behind him quickly. “It’s the game of cricket. You’re going to miss out, you’re going to drop a catch – you’ve got to get on with what’s in front of you,” he reflected.

When Connolly bowled again, he managed to dismiss Rohit Sharma for his first-ever ODI wicket. The wicket was a significant moment for the young cricketer. “That (drop off Rohit) was completely out of my mind by the time I was bowling, I was just trying to compete as much as I could and hopefully get a breakthrough for the team,” he said.

Before making his appearance in the Champions Trophy, Connolly had also made his Test debut for Australia on their tour of Sri Lanka, a moment he will cherish forever. “Getting my Baggy Green and then to play a game in the Champions Trophy, it was a dream come true… hopefully there’s plenty more to come,” Connolly shared.

As for his performance in the semi-final, Connolly expressed confidence in his abilities. “I felt like it wasn’t really a surprise. I felt like if I was going to play, I’d earned my opportunity,” he said. “I guess it’s just about concentrating on what’s in front of me at the moment, not looking too far ahead, and just trying to enjoy playing cricket and hopefully put some scores on the board.”

Looking ahead, Connolly remains focused on improving his game. “Obviously getting a little taste of it makes you want it more,” he concluded, eager to continue making strides in his cricketing career.