4 min learnApr 7, 2026 12:55 PM IST
After one other under-par efficiency with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders from Cameron Inexperienced, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has mentioned that the Australian all-rounder is ‘not ok’ to bat at quantity three. To date after three video games in IPL 2026, Inexperienced has scored 18 and two runs in Knight Riders’ opening two matches whereas being unavailable to bowl. On Monday night, at a rain-affected IPL recreation on the Eden Gardens the Australian all-rounder may solely rating 4 runs in opposition to the Punjab Kings.
“I’m in opposition to speaking about cash as a result of cash is one thing that simply occurs. These guys don’t earn as a lot cash as a number of the different sportsmen all over the world. However clearly, lots of people like to speak about what I like to speak about, which is cricketing capability. And whether or not or not you’re ok to be able of energy and batting a 3 in an IPL workforce, it’s a must to be ok to have the ability to carry out at that stage. And I don’t assume that he’s ok to bat at quantity 3. He’s not bowling, so that you take a look at what he has carried out. Sure, I’ve seen him, he acquired a 100 in Mumbai a few years in the past. I’ve not seen sufficient of Cam Inexperienced to warrant batting at 3 right here and taking over that accountability. He’s a middle-order batter who bowls a bit, and that’s what he does,” Pietersen mentioned on JioHotstar throughout the rain break within the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings.
Inexperienced was purchased by KKR for Rs 25.20 crore in final yr’s mini IPL public sale, which made the all-rounder the costliest international participant within the league. Inexperienced has beforehand performed for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL and had missed the 2025 season because of again surgical procedure. He averaged 41.48 and took 16 wickets at a median of 41.50 in 29 IPL matches previous to this season.
In 28 T20Is for Australia, Inexperienced has scored a complete of 638 runs at a median of 29.00 and has taken 14 wickets at a median of 25.00. The 26-year-old all-rounder has not bowled in current months. Final week, when Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane was requested about Inexperienced not bowling in IPL this season up to now, Rahane had replied, “Ask Cricket Australia”.
Later, Cricket Australia;ia had shared that the Australian all-rounder’s decrease again damage requires him to abstain from bowling for a brief interval. “Cameron has a decrease again damage which is being managed however requires him to abstain from bowling for a brief interval. Cameron is at present rebuilding his bowling masses in India with a view to return in round 10-12 days’ time. KKR has been communicated with and is totally conscious of this data,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson had advised PTI.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes the KKR workforce administration ought to go in for a specialist batsman like Rovman Powell if Inexperienced shouldn’t be out there to bowl.
“You need to consider the specialists. When you consider Rachindra Ravindra and Cameron Inexperienced, they aren’t essentially confirmed T20 gamers, and if you end up selecting abroad gamers, they must be specialists as a result of there are solely 4 spots out there. So, should you have a look at who’s the best participant, if Cameron Inexperienced shouldn’t be bowling, then he doesn’t match into that, you already know, only a batsman class so far as an abroad batter is anxious. So, you would possibly as properly consider Rovman Powell, who’s a confirmed T20 specialist who bats and does a really specialised job. So, I like Powell for the truth that he’s a specialist, does a job, and he’s a confirmed commodity relatively than hoping that somebody would come good,” Bangar mentioned on JioHotstar.