Sunil Gavaskar Suggests Big Move Over KKR's Rs 25.2 Crore Buy Amid Bowling Debate
Cameron Green was bought for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction as a long-term replacement for the now-retired Andre Russell.
- Sunil Gavaskar urged KKR to explore bringing in another specialist batter if Cameron Green doesn't bowl
- Green was bought for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction as a long-term replacement for Andre Russell
- "KKR will need to think about their combination if Cameron Green is not going to bowl," said Gavaskar
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Friday asked Kolkata Knight Riders to explore bringing in another specialist batter, given that all-rounder Cameron Green's restricted role has disrupted their team balance this IPL. Green, who was bought for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction as a long-term replacement for the now-retired Andre Russell, didn't bowl in KKR's first two matches due to Cricket Australia's workload management, something that didn't sit well with the fans and the team management.
"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," Gavaskar told 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.
Having started their campaign with a crushing loss to Mumbai Indians, KKR suffered another defeat on Thursday, going down to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 65 runs at Eden Gardens.
Besides Green's role at KKR, Gavaskar also analysed SRH all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy's improved performance with the ball, terming it "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 delivered a fine all-round performance -- scoring 39 off 24 balls and returning figures of 2/17 from his two overs -- to help SRH secure their first win of the season.
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Kolkata Knight Riders
Sunil Gavaskar