Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar said it was just unfortunate that Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has been unable to bowl so far in the 2026 Indian Premier League. He added that the franchise’s long-term plan is to groom Green as a successor to Andre Russell.
Green, who was bought by KKR for a massive ₹25.2 crore at last year’s IPL auction, did not bowl in their season-opening six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Cricket Australia confirmed that his bowling workload is currently restricted due to a lower back injury, with a return to bowling expected in 10–12 days.
“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,” Nayar said in the pre-match press conference as quoted by NDTV Sports. “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 added.
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Nayar added that KKR had taken injuries and fitness updates into account, but ultimately chose to invest in Green for his overall all-round ability. The three-time champions are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, April 2 at Eden Gardens.