After three IPL 2026 innings, Cameron Green is still searching for his rhythm with Kolkata Knight Riders, and the signs from his early outings have left plenty of concern. On ESPNcricinfo\u2019s TimeOut programme, former Australia captain Aaron Finch pointed to a lack of confidence, saying, \u201cThere\u2019s a bit of panic\u2014he\u2019s not looking the same as the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
KKR\u2019s home match against Punjab Kings on Monday was reduced dramatically by rain, with only 3.4 overs possible. Even so, it was enough for Green to take his place and depart quickly, caught behind off Xavier Bartlett on the second ball he faced. The 26-year-old allrounder was bought for INR 25.20 crore (about USD 2.8 million\/AUD 4.2 million), which made him the most expensive overseas player in IPL auction history. Yet through three knocks, his batting has looked unsettled. Green opened the season with 18 runs from 10 balls against his former side Mumbai Indians, before being run out after a coming-together for 2 off 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.<\/p>\n
Finch felt one of the dismissals was not purely about execution. \u201cOne of those dismissals has been a run out, not a part of his fault,\u201d he said. \u201cStill, he\u2019s missed out twice. There\u2019s a bit of panic, he\u2019s not looking the same as the past. Remember when he was at the top of the order for MI\u2014how he had totally different intent.\u201d He then contrasted the current uncertainty with Green\u2019s 2023 form for MI, when he was locked into the No. 3 position, scoring 452 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 160.28 and an average of 50.22.<\/p>\n
To Finch, the bigger issue is the way Green is being asked to play. \u201cHe was imposing at the crease,\u201d Finch said. \u201cNow he looks tentative. Don\u2019t push him down. Push him either up the order, or give him a rest.\u201d In IPL 2026 so far, Green\u2019s batting entry points have varied\u2014he has come in during the sixth over at No. 3, the fifth over at No. 4, and the second over at No. 3.<\/p>\n
Finch also took aim at KKR\u2019s tactical choice to bat first against PBKS, arguing that it placed their top order\u2014including Green\u2014into conditions that were far from ideal after extended rain in the build-up. He noted that the Eden Gardens surface had spent a long time under covers, and the moisture left behind assisted the seam bowlers once play began.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning the toss and electing to bat after the wicket\u2019s been under the covers for a day\u2014you know there\u2019s been rain in the air\u2014it makes absolutely no sense,\u201d Finch said. \u201cThat\u2019s an alarm bell for me. It\u2019s not that they\u2019re two down for 25; it\u2019s the fact that \u2018we shouldn\u2019t be batting\u2019. You\u2019re making the wrong decision even when you\u2019ve got all the information.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the forecast realities were clear even before the first ball. \u201cThere\u2019s cloud cover around. You\u2019re expecting rain. They had three hours of rain. Obviously, somebody has told them at some point\u2014\u2018it might rain later\u2019\u2014you might need to chase later. DLS works better for the team batting second a little better. You\u2019ve got all that information, so I don\u2019t understand how you get to the decision where you bat first.\u201d<\/p>\n
KKR will now turn their attention to their next assignment against Lucknow Super Giants on April 9, with the team expected to remain in the city for the fixture after their recent rain-affected schedule in Kolkata.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After three IPL 2026 innings, Cameron Green is still searching for his rhythm with Kolkata Knight Riders, and the signs from his early outings have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Aaron Finch Questions Cameron Green\u2019s IPL Form vs PBKS","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Aaron Finch doubts Cameron Green\u2019s IPL rhythm as KKR take on Punjab Kings in a rain-hit match\u2014can Green find form before it\u2019s too late?","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n