Green found his rhythm in the second half of the league phase
Australia coach Andrew McDonald has expressed satisfaction over all-rounder Cameron Green's exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering sum of INR 25.2 crore, Green didn't bowl in the initial few matches, which drew him a lot of flak. Incidentally, he didn't perform well with the bat in those games as well.
However, Green found his rhythm in the second half of the league phase, delivering strong performances with both bat and ball. He ended the tournament with 322 runs at an average of 32.20 and a strike rate of 145.70, and 7 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 10.64.
Despite the mid-season resurgence, KKR ultimately fell short of playoff qualification. The three-time champions finished their campaign with a 40-run defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (May 24).
McDonald expressed satisfaction with Green's stint, emphasizing that the tournament has helped the lanky all-rounder regain his confidence and form.
"This IPL, the skills are coming back, the white-ball skills in particular off the back of the surgery he's had," McDonald told cricket.com.au.
Cameron Green will now travel to Pakistan for a three-match ODI series, starting May 30. McDonald highlighted that expecting Green to thrive across all three formats is a bit too much.
"I'd ask the question: How many have been good at going across all three formats? Currently, it's incredibly difficult. So are we asking too much of certain players?"
McDonald also spoke of how he plans to use Green in the ODI World Cup next year in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
"It's really where we position him and what role we want him to play, because I think he's got the ability to really play high up the order and low," said McDonald.
"He does have some power, we saw in that Top End series last year against South Africa, his ability to finish off that innings in the absence of Glenn Maxwell. So we had that conversation.
"We keep these things open – experiment is not the right word – but we'll look at different ways to play in the journey to the 2027 World Cup and where he fits exactly in that," he added.