The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who finished eighth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, will now try to perform better and qualify for the playoffs after a disappointing season.
Among the players acquired by KKR in the IPL 2026 auction, Cameron Green was the most expensive, costing INR 25.20 crore. The team has kept only 12 players from last year and has brought in 13 new ones.
The Australian all-rounder was ruled out of the last season because of an injury. He has taken part in a total of 28 IPL innings, during which he has scored 707 runs at an incredible average of 41.58 and a very good strike rate of 153.69, hitting one century and two fifties among his runs.
Why No. 3 is the Best Position for Cameron Green in KKR’s Best XI
Cameron Green has generally been a middle-order batter in his T20 international career, where he has made 375 runs in 13 games at an impressive average of 46.87.
In T20s overall, he has scored 696 runs in 40 games at a decent average of 36.63. His stats at No.3 in particular are good, as he has scored a majority of 495 runs at an average of 38.07.
In the IPL, he has played 28 innings and in 13 of those he has batted at No.3 and made 482 runs at an average of 43.81. Besides, his two fifties in the IPL have been scored while batting at this position.
Green’s sole T20 century came while he was batting at No.3 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, which further indicates that he is quite efficient at No.3.
How Cameron Green Fits into KKR Batting Line-up
KKR can start with Ajinkya Rahane and Tim Seifert as an opening pair. If Green occupies the 3rd position, he could take the powerplay and still be quick in getting runs during the middle overs. After him, Angkrish Raghuvanshi could come in, and the line-up will be Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, and Ramandeep Singh for the last part of the innings.
Sunil Narine, previously KKR’s opener, might have to bat lower down the order as he had a poor season last year, which also contributed to the team’s poor performance. In case Narine opens up again, KKR will have to reshuffle their batting order, and Rinku Singh might get less time to bat as a consequence. To maintain a steady batting lineup, this combination appears to be ideal with Cameron Green at 3rd position.
KKR Best XI ft Cameron Green
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, Matheesha Pathirana, and Varun Chakravarthy.
Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora.