IPL 2026: ‘Unfortunate he can’t bowl right now’ - Abhishek Nayar backs Cameron Green as KKR groom him for Andre Russell role

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.

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.

“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. 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,” said Nayar.

“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,” he added.