KKR’s campaign will be burdened by the inclusion of Cameron Green, who has been reduced to the role of a specialist batsman rather than an all-rounder after CA issued a directive claiming that Green will not bowl in the early stages of the IPL.
Kolkata Knight Riders begin their campaign in IPL 2026, and Cameron Green is the biggest attraction in their camp. Cameron Green was picked at a whopping price of Rs 25.20 crore in the mini-auction last year.
However, at the request of Cricket Australia, the 26-year-old lanky Australian all-rounder is playing solely as a specialist batsman in the opening encounter against Mumbai Indians. With the bat, he contributed 18 runs in 10 balls during KKR’s mammoth innings of 220 runs.
So even if they bought him for the highest money, you still have to ask him to sit on the bench – Zaheer Khan
Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan believes that KKR can make their biggest signing in the history of IPL. Cameron Green might not be playing any role with the ball and in such a situation, Zaheer revealed that he could be dropped from the eleven.
Zaheer told Cricbuzz Live, “Cricket Australia has control over Cameron Green, and if he has decided that he will not bowl, then it is up to the franchise how to use him. Rahane made sure he told everyone that I want him to bowl. If he does not bowl, his presence in the 11 will completely depend on the balance of the team.”
He also said that Kolkata Knight Riders may drop their most expensive player, and instead, consider Rachin Ravindra, as the New Zealand cricketer can contribute with both bat and ball.
He said, “So even if they bought him for top money, you still have to ask him to sit on the bench. Maybe Rachin Ravindra is the option they will choose to contribute with bat and ball.”
Michael Vaughan suggests Tim Seifert as Green’s replacement
Michael Vaughan, on the other hand, believes that KKR could look at New Zealand opener Tim Seifert as a replacement for Cameron Green if Cameron fails to really contribute with the ball.
Despite scoring 220 runs in their season opener against Mumbai Indians, KKR suffered a heavy defeat in the final over due to a poor bowling performance in the contest. He also told that Green was looking in great form with the bat at Wankhede.
“If he (Green) bowls it helps his balance. I would be surprised and surprised if he bowls in this game. You can argue that if Seifert is just playing as a batsman he can replace Cameron Green. But I can’t see that changing after one game. Also Green looked good with the bat at Wankhede,” Vaughan said (via the above source).
Vaughan described Varun Chakravarthy as KKR’s biggest weakness.
Top spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who was the best player of KKR, gave 48 runs in his four overs against Mumbai Indians. He will have to make a comeback in his next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“They weren’t very far against MI. They didn’t defend 220 because the bowlers came up against a stalwart like Rohit Sharma. Chakravarthy is a bit of a concern. He had a bad World Cup. He scored a lot of runs in the first game, so he needs to find his line and length,” he said.
Varun Chakraborty has not had a good performance in this format since the Super-8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup. The cricketer averaged 45 and gave runs at an economy of around 12. He took only 5 wickets during the 5 matches till the final of the tournament.
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