Former India opener Virender Sehwag has taken a hard line with Kolkata Knight Riders after their defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday at MA Chidambaram Stadium, telling the franchise to own up to what he called an auction misstep in backing Australia all-rounder Cameron Green. Sehwag pointed to Green’s struggles in the ongoing season, noting that the batter was dismissed for a duck in the match against CSK.
Green arrived in the IPL as the most expensive overseas signing in league history after KKR splashed close to a third of their auction budget to secure him for INR 25.20 crore. Yet, with five games already completed, he has contributed just 56 runs and a single wicket. Sehwag also highlighted that Green has not bowled in the first three fixtures, with a back injury limiting his impact during that stretch.
While speaking in a media interaction, Sehwag urged KKR to stop defending the purchase and make a decisive call ahead of their next outing. He argued that when a team invests that level of money and the player is not delivering, it creates a bigger problem than simply benching him. In his view, the franchise should accept the error rather than persist with a selection that is not producing results either with the bat or the ball.
Sehwag said KKR should admit the mistake of spending around the 25–27 crore range on Green, and then respond by dropping him and giving opportunities to others. He maintained there is no embarrassment in acknowledging that the decision did not work out, especially when the player’s bowling has not been contributing enough and his presence is not improving the overall balance of the side.
To suggest an alternative, Sehwag proposed a reshuffle that would bring Tim Seifert into the playing XI in place of Green. He also suggested using Finn Allen as the opening partner. From there, Sehwag’s plan had Ajinkya Rahane promoted to No. 3, with Powell at No. 4 and Raghavanshi pushed lower in the order. Sehwag’s reasoning was straightforward: if Rahane falls early, Raghavanshi can come in to stabilize, while if another wicket tumbles, Powell or Rinku can take over the responsibility.
KKR will next face Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Friday, with the franchise now under fresh pressure to address their squad balance following a difficult start to the campaign.
