Kolkata Knight Riders, who have endured two back-to-back defeats, are struggling to maintain their rhythm in the tournament, with their IPL 2026 campaign going off the track. The biggest setback for them has been the devastating form of overseas recruit Cameron Green, who has so far failed to live up to the expectations after being roped in by KKR for INR 25.20 crore. Green, the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction, has remained out of touch, having only scored 18 and 2 runs in the first two matches against Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively.
In KKR's recent match against PBKS, which was washed out following relentless showers after 3.5 overs, Green only managed four runs before being taken out by Australian compatriot Xavier Bartlett. Following his constant failures, Green has become a topic of debate as he is also not bowling. Sharing his perspective, former England batter Kevin Pietersen believed that Green is not good enough to bat at no. 3. He also expressed frustration over the fact that the Aussie star is not bowling either.
"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," Pietersen said on JioStar.
"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 a 3 here and taking on that responsibility. He's a middle-order batter who bowls a bit, and that's what he does," he added.
On Monday, after an incessant downpour, the match between KKR and PBKS was called off, and KKR received their first point of the season. In their upcoming game, they are set to face Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.