Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming to bounce back in TATA IPL 2026 after a disappointing 2025 season. Faf du Plessis used how Cameron Green can replace Andre Russell, the explosive opening combination of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, and the spin-friendly pitches at the Eden Gardens, which can be exploited by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Faf du Plessis analysed what Cameron Green brings to KKR and the weight of expectations on him:
“Cameron Green is a highly talented guy who has a lot of potential in him to succeed. He is the multi-skilled marquee buy for KKR and the replacement for Andre Russell. Green is six-foot tall, a massive guy, he bowls well, has a good bouncer and yorker, can hit the ball out of the stadium easily and is a proper batter. In short, he is a complete package. He balances KKR’s team very well. In terms of IPL cricket, Green has a lot of potential. But form has not been on his side recently. With a price tag of INR 25.2 crores, there is big price tag pressure he will carry. There is a lot of weight on his shoulders. The team will expect a lot from him. It will be interesting to see how he goes.”
On the opening batting combo of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert:
“If KKR can find a way to fit Finn Allen and Tim Seifert together in the playing XI as openers, it will be really good for them. It will make their batting very strong. Allen and Seifert know each other quite well and have an established opening partnership between each other since they open for New Zealand in T20Is. We all saw the carnage they displayed in the T20 World Cup. That counts as a massive factor. Having both of them opening the innings is perfect for the way T20 cricket is played now. They both go hard from the first ball and attack in different ways. So, if KKR can fit them together at the top, it will be really nice for the team. But the question mark is their bowling. With the injuries they have, they almost need to pick an experienced player from the unsold list and bring that required experience into their bowling attack.”
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On why the Eden Gardens pitch should be tailormade for Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy:
“If I was part of the KKR team management, I would ask the groundsman at Eden Gardens to make the wicket spin-friendly. KKR are blessed to have two absolute cannons in Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. They are two of the best T20 spinners in the game right now. Both, Varun and Narine, have to be in the game. If they play on surfaces where they are not in contention, then you are losing those two cannons and your superpower. Yes, they can bowl well on any wicket and trouble batters. But for KKR to be successful this IPL, Varun and Narine need to fire. The pitch should be prepared keeping those two players in mind.”
Lakshmipathy Balaji explained why Ajinkya Rahane should bat at the top:
“I always feel that KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane should bat in the top order. He shouldn’t bat at anything less than number three. He has done phenomenally well with CSK at number three and scored a lot of runs. So, he batting one down would be good for both, him and KKR. Cameron Green can come out to bat at number four. That will give him time to settle down and then start going after the bowlers. So, a top four of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green is going to be the go-to one.”
On the need for KKR’s top order to step up this season:
“KKR’s top order definitely needs to fire. Last season they missed out because they let go of players like Phil Salt and Shreyas Iyer, who were phenomenal when they won the tournament in 2024. Somebody needs to step in now. Probably, Cameron Green or Finn Allen. And of course, you have a young talent like Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Their time has come now. If they do well, KKR will get massive momentum. Their performance will surely be something to watch out for.”
