Former Australia opener Aaron Finch has lambasted the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for persisting with Cameron Green in the playing XI despite his poor form with the bat in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). This comes after the 2024 champions lost to the Chennai Super Kings to remain winless in the tournament after five games.
Green was signed in the mini auction for INR 25.20 crore and has not lived up to his price tag. The all-rounder has scored just 56 runs from five matches for KKR and has bowled just twice, taking one wicket.
Finch stated that no sides in the IPL should pick players based solely on how much money was spent on them in the auction. He also questioned KKR’s decision to make him bat at number six despite his struggles against spin.
“Starting against two spinners [Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad], he only lasted one ball. But that’s his worst nightmare, walking out to bat [against spin], particularly in a run chase. I don’t think you ever pick a team on price tags. That would be really ignorant to do that. Because buying at the auction is a supply and demand of a skill set that you bring. It’s not about, well, we have to play this guy because we paid this much for him. He’s playing out of position. His best numbers have been at the top of the order,” Finch said on ESPNcricinfo.
Finch has suggested that the Knight Riders bring in New Zealand’s Tim Seifert in place of Green in the playing XI. The 31-year-old was the second-highest runs-scorer at the 2026 T20 World Cup, hitting 326 runs at a strike-rate of 166.32.
“You’ve got Seifert sitting in the wings, he’s a specialist opener. Cameron Green hasn’t played a huge amount of T20 cricket [recently, because of injuries],” Finch said. “So you’ve got a guy there who brings a good skill set and really good form in Seifert, coming off a good [T20] World Cup. Who’s got the scoops, he’s got the ramps, he’s got a lot of different options,” he added.
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KKR desperately need a win in their next game against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Friday, April 17. Yet another defeat could see them drift away from the rest of the teams and diminish their chances of making it through to the playoffs.
