Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar has shared that it was ‘just unfortunate’ that veteran Australian player Cameron Green has not been able to bowl so far in the IPL 2026, adding that KKR‘s long-term plan was for him to be a replacement for the legendary all-rounder Andre Russell as well. However, KKR bought Green for a whopping price of Rs 25.2 crore at last year’s IPL auction.
“There are things that sometimes are very unfortunate; it’s not in your control, but that’s the sport, and that’s the beauty of the sport. So, we always consider best-case scenarios. Yes, you want back-ups; you pick players who do certain things,” said Nayar in the pre-match press conference, ahead of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on Thursday as well.
“But when we went into the auction, very simple: if Russ wasn’t there, who is the next best all-rounder that we felt in the world and could add a lot of value and could take that Russell legacy forward in a different role? We felt Cam Green could do that for us. It’s just unfortunate that he’s not been able to bowl so far,” he further added.
However, in a video shared by KKR recently, Cameron Green was seen bowling in the nets before the match against SRH. Abhishek Nayar also stated that the KKR had considered injuries and fitness updates as well.
🚨 BREAKING ALERT 🚨
Cameron Green has resumed bowling in the nets.
Cameron Green is set to bowl in the next match for Kolkata Knight Riders. #IPL2026 #KKRpic.twitter.com/311z57VK1m
— Khan (@ccricket713) April 1, 2026
‘We know what Cam Green can do’ – Abhishek Nayar
“See, the idea of picking a player in an auction is not always very short-sighted. There is obviously a horizon. You look at what a player has done over a number of years and the skill set he possesses. The sport is interesting in that way, in that a lot of times you pick a player with certain prowess, and sometimes they may even do the skill you’re talking about and not perform,” he further added.
“But for us, Cameron Green, the cricketer and the all-rounder, was really important. You take a lot of things into consideration at times, whether there’s an injury, fitness updates. But eventually, I think when the auction happens and when the tournament happens, it’s not immediate,” he shared again.
“So whatever decision you make, you don’t know what the future lies and what the future will hold. So in that aspect, we as a franchise always invest in the player and what the player at his best can bring to our table, and we know what Cam Green can do,” Abhishek Nayar concluded.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
