Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath has raised serious concerns over Kolkata Knight Riders splurging ₹25.20 crore on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green during the IPL 2026 auction.
Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes the hefty price tag of Cameron Green was driven more by hype than performance, pointing out that Green has yet to deliver a match-winning impact consistently in the IPL despite previous stints with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“You’ve signed him for 25 crores, and he is woefully out of form. He struggled massively for Australia in the T20 World Cup. Cameron Green went for so much purely because of the hype. He is not worth that much. Has he single-handedly done anything in the IPL? Australian players always get hyped up, and he benefited from that. I believe it was a bad move by KKR,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Ajinkya Rahane’s Leadership Also Under Scanner
Apart from questioning recruitment decisions, Badrinath also took aim at KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the new season.
The veteran batter, who was appointed captain ahead of IPL 2026, has been labelled a weak link by Badrinath, who expressed doubts over both his leadership and overall impact on the team. Despite being preferred over players like Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh, Rahane will continue to lead the franchise owned by Shah Rukh Khan.
ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid Praises Sanju Samson For Outstanding T20 World Cup 2026
Injury Concerns Add to KKR’s Pre-Season Worries
Badrinath further highlighted that several of KKR’s key investments are already facing uncertainty ahead of IPL 2026. Injuries and availability issues have impacted multiple players, raising concerns about the team’s balance.
“Ajinkya Rahane is definitely a weakness. His captaincy itself is a weak link. All their big investments have gone wrong. They trusted Harshit Rana and invested in him, but he is ruled out. Pathirana was a huge signing, and now he’s doubtful. Mustafizur was another big investment, and he is ruled out. They’ve taken many costly decisions, as there is uncertainty over most of their big investments,” Badrinath said.
With doubts over several marquee names and criticism mounting, KKR head into IPL 2026 under pressure to justify their auction strategy and leadership choices.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.