Given that all-rounder Cameron Green’s limited role has upset the Kolkata Knight Riders’ team balance in IPL, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Friday encouraged them to consider adding another specialist batter.
Due to Cricket Australia’s workload management, Green, who was purchased at auction for Rs 25.20 crore as a long-term replacement for the now-retired Andre Russell, did not bowl in KKR’s first two games, which infuriated both the team management and the supporters.
“KKR will need to think about their combination if Cameron Green is not going to bowl. If he isn’t contributing with the ball, then they might have to consider bringing in another specialist batter,” PTI quoted Gavaskar telling Star Sports.
“We know he has scored a hundred in the IPL and that he can bat well, but his form hasn’t been great recently. Yes, he scored a hundred in a red-ball game in Australia not long ago, but this is where the team needs to look closely at the numbers. Green at No. 4 is fine, but the bigger concern seems to be the No. 5 and No. 6 positions, where they appear to be struggling a bit,” the batting great added.
KKR lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 65 runs at Eden Gardens on Thursday after suffering a devastating loss to the Mumbai Indians to begin their campaign.
In addition to Green’s contribution to KKR, Gavaskar lauded SRH all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s enhanced ball-handling skills, calling them “very encouraging” for India.
“He is definitely bowling quicker now and has clearly added a bit more pace. You can see better rhythm and flow in his action as well. That often happens when a player is fully fit and stronger physically.
“He was praising his physical trainer and conditioning work, and that is a big positive. He’s also getting the ball to bounce a little more, which we saw in the first game as well. That’s very encouraging news for India,” Gavaskar said of Reddy.
Reddy helped SRH win their opening match of the season with a superb all-around performance, scoring 39 off 24 balls and returning bowling figures of 2/17 from his two overs.
