KKR wants Cameron Green to play Andre Russell role: Nayar speaks on Rahane-Cricket Australia drama

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head Abhishek Nayar has doused the fire that Ajinkya Rahane ignited. After the 3-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions lost to the Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 29, the KKR captain was miffed that Cameron Green wasn’t fit to bowl.

Bowling drama

Mind you, KKR had shelled out INR 25.20 crore at the auction for the all-rounder. But all they got in the IPL 2026 was a batter. Rahane was asked why Green didn’t bowl, since it wasn’t common knowledge that Cricket Australia (CA) hadn’t permitted him to bowl since he was recovering from a back injury.

“Ask Cricket Australia.” Rahane blurted out. CA responded within hours, stating that KKR already knew that Green wasn’t fit to bowl yet and would need about 2 more weeks to recover. As expected, Nayar was asked about Green, Rahane, and CA when he turned up for the press conference in Kolkata on the eve of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) match.

Why KKR picked Cameron Green up at the auction

Rahane had also stated that Green’s inability to bowl threw the balance off. Nayar repeated the same. The coach explained that Green was bought as an all-rounder. Yes, they realised that a player can get injured, and they must have backups. But there aren’t many quality all-rounders in the world, neither foreign nor Indian.

“Picking a player in an auction is not always very short-sighted. There is always a horizon. You look at what a player has done over a number of years and the skill set he possesses. This sport is interesting in that way that a lot of times you pick a player with certain prowess, and sometimes they may even do the skill you are talking about and not perform. 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 is an injury or fitness issues. But eventually, I think, when the auction happens and the tournament happens, it is not imagined. So whatever decision you make, you don’t know where the future lies and what the future may hold.

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 Cameron can do. 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,” Nayar told reporters in Kolkata.

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Replacement for Andre Russell

The KKR head coach further explained that Green is their Andre Russell replacement. Now, the West Indian had a different role. He was a finisher who bowled at all phases. KKR realises that Green isn’t that player. But Nayar’s point was that Russell was irreplaceable, and he provided the team with balance. He was someone who was the centre, and the whole team revolved around him.

That’s exactly what KKR expects from Green. Now, he may not perform as expected. But that’s entirely a different thing. They just want to be an all-rounder first. Due to injury, he can’t do that for them. They just hope that happens soon, because KKR has already lost a few players to injuries.

“We always consider best-case scenarios. Yes, you want backups; you pick players who do certain things. But when we went into the auction, it was 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 Cameron could do that for us. It’s just unfortunate that he has not been able to do it so far,” Nayar added.

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