Former England superstar Kevin Pietersen and former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar have criticized Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for poor tactics around Cameron Green in the ongoing IPL 2026.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who is yet to bowl this season, has disappointed both cricket experts with his flop batting performance for KKR.
Kevin Pietersen and Sanjay Bangar attack KKR as Cameron Green crisis continues in IPL 2026
KKR’s expensive all-rounder Green is going through a rough patch at the moment, and his struggles continued in the IPL 2026 game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens on Monday, April 6. Coming in at number three, he could face only two balls for four runs before being dismissed.
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Fans and cricket experts were shocked to see their iconic player leave the crease so early, with Pietersen and Bangar raising questions over his place in KKR’s playing eleven in the tournament.
The former England batsman said that Cameron Green, who was bought for Rs 25.20 crore, is not doing what an all-rounder should do. He believes that Kolkata Knight Riders are taking a big risk by playing Green at number 3 because he has not yet proved himself for such a big responsibility.
He is good enough to bat at No. 3: Kevin Pietersen on Green
Kevin Pietersen said on JioHotstar, “I’m against talking about money because money is something that just happens. These guys don’t make as much money as some of the other players 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 bat at number three in an IPL team, you’ve got to be able to perform at that level. “Should be good enough for.”
The Englishman added, “And I don’t think he’s good enough to bat at No. 3. He’s not bowling, so you look at what he’s done. Yes, I’ve seen him; he scored 100 in Mumbai a few years ago. I haven’t seen Cam Green enough to need to bat at No. 3 here and take that responsibility. He’s a middle-order batsman who bowls a bit, and that’s what he does.”
Sanjay Bangar calls Cameron Green “just a batsman” without bowling impact
On Cameron Green not bowling, Bangar said the Australian all-rounder is just another batsman and is not good enough in the fast-paced T20 format. He believes that KKR should rethink their strategy and use the overseas slots wisely, as they are already lagging behind in the ongoing IPL 2026 race.
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Bangar believes that players like Rovman Powell, who is a proven T20 specialist, should be prioritized over Green and Rachin Ravindra to create the right team balance for the three-time IPL champions. He openly said that Ravindra and Green are not “proven” T20 players and criticized KKR for making a big mistake in picking foreign players in the mini-auction.
‘KKR does not need players like Green, but proven T20 specialists.’
The former Indian coach has stressed that overseas stars should be “specialists” as there are only four spots available. Bangar further stressed that Cameron Green is not bowling at the moment, so he does not fit into that ideal tag as he is just a batsman, and there is no point in playing an overseas batsman, especially in this fast-paced format.
He signed off by saying, “You have to think about specialists. So, you can also think about Rovman Powell, who is a proven T20 specialist, who bats and does very specific things. So, I like Powell for the fact that he is a specialist, plays a role, and is a proven commodity, rather than hoping that someone good will come.”
