Cameron Green, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder, continues to flatter to deceive in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Not yet cleared to bowl, the 26-year-old has struggled with the bat, managing just 24 runs in three matches for the three-time champions. On Monday, the right-handed batter lasted just two balls in the middle against the Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens, walking back to the hut after scoring just four runs and lasting two balls in the middle. No one really knows when Green will bowl for the team in the IPL 2026 season, and hence, his batting performances have drawn a lot of scrutiny.
The Australian all-rounder has been bowling in the nets and building his workload, but several pundits believe he shouldn’t be starting in the KKR playing XI until he starts performing his role as an all-rounder.
The same sentiment was echoed by Kevin Pietersen and Sanjay Bangar on Monday during the rain break in the match between KKR and Punjab Kings, saying there’s no way that Green should be batting at No.3 for the franchise as he hasn’t done anything substantial in T20 cricket.
“I’m against talking about the money because the money is something that just happens. These guys don’t earn as much money as some of the other sportsmen around the world. But obviously, a lot of people like to talk about what I like to talk about, which is cricketing ability. And whether or not you’re good enough to be in a position of power and batting a 3 in an IPL team, you have to be good enough to be able to perform at that level,” Pietersen said on JioHotstar.
“And I don’t think that he’s good enough to bat at number 3. He’s not bowling, so you have a look at what he has done. Yes, I’ve seen his, he got a 100 in Mumbai a couple of years ago. I’ve not seen enough of Cam Green to warrant batting a 3 here and taking on that responsibility. He’s a middle-order batter who bowls a bit, and that’s what he does,” he added.
‘Not T20 specialists’
Former India batting coach Bangar said that Green is not a proven T20 performer, and this is where KKR erred in its auction strategy by spending INR 25.20 crore on him in the mini auction. He also urged the KKR management to persist with Rovman Powell ahead of both Green and Rachin Ravindra.
“You have to think of the specialists. If you think of Rachindra Ravindra and Cameron Green, they are not necessarily proven T20 players, and when you are picking overseas players, they have to be specialists because there are only four spots available. So, if you look at who is the ideal player, if Cameron Green is not bowling, then he doesn’t fit into that, you know, just a batsman category as far as an overseas batter is concerned,” said Bangar.
“So, you might as well think of Rovman Powell, who is a proven T20 specialist who bats and does a very specialised job. So, I like Powell for the fact that he is a specialist, does a role, and he is a proven commodity rather than hoping that someone would come good,” he added.
KKR got one point on Monday after the match against the Punjab Kings was abandoned due to rain. The franchise was extremely lucky to get a point as they were reeling at 25/2 in 3.4 overs after opting to bat. However, the heavens opened, and rain forced the players off the field.
