The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appeared to be one of the weakest teams in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). KKR suffered two consecutive defeats against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Their match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) was subsequently abandoned due to rain. KKR acquired Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for ₹25 crore (250 million rupees) at the auction. KKR had high hopes for him, but he has disappointed so far, leading to criticism from former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
Green has scored just 24 runs in three matches of IPL 2026 so far. Furthermore, due to lack of permission from Cricket Australia, he is not bowling for the team. Following this, Kevin Pietersen has criticized him. Pietersen said, “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.”
The former English batter also added, “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 at 3 here and taking on that responsibility. He’s a middle-order batter who bowls a bit, and that’s what he does.”
Cameron Green has played 32 matches in his IPL career so far, scoring 731 runs and taking 16 wickets. However, his form remains a concern in the 2026 season. He also had a poor year in T20 Internationals, scoring only 117 runs in seven matches and bowling just 7.1 overs. Now, the big question facing KKR management is whether they will remain patient with Green or make changes to the team combination.
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