Green, purchased by KKR for a jaw-dropping Rs 25.2 crore at last year\u2019s IPL auction, didn't bowl an over in their season opening six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, with Cricket Australia (CA) confirming that his bowling duties are restricted at the moment due to a \u2018lower back injury\u2019 and can resume it after 10-12 days. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere are things that sometimes are very unfortunate; it\u2019s not in your control, but that\u2019s the sport, and that\u2019s the beauty of the sport. So, we always consider best-case scenarios. Yes, you want back-ups; you pick players who do certain things. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut when we went into the auction, very simple: if Russ wasn\u2019t there, who is the next best all-rounder that we felt in the world and could add a lot of value and could take that Russell legacy forward in a different role? We felt Cam Green could do that for us. It\u2019s just unfortunate that he\u2019s not been able to bowl so far,\u201d said Nayar in the pre-match press conference, ahead of their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Nayar also said the franchise had considered injuries and fitness updates but ultimately invested in Green\u2019s overall skill set. \u201cSee, the idea of picking a player in an auction is not always very short-sighted. There is obviously a horizon. You look at what a player has done over a number of years and the skill set he possesses. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe sport is interesting in that way, in that a lot of times you pick a player with certain prowess, and sometimes they may even do the skill you\u2019re talking about and not perform. But for us, Cameron Green, the cricketer and the all-rounder, was really important. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou take a lot of things into consideration at times, whether there\u2019s an injury, fitness updates. But eventually, I think when the auction happens and when the tournament happens, it\u2019s not immediate. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo whatever decision you make, you don\u2019t know what the future lies and what the future will hold. So in that aspect, we as a franchise always invest in the player and what the player at his best can bring to our table, and we know what Cam Green can do,\u201d he elaborated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Nayar further backed wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy to come good, with him struggling to hit top form since the Super Eights of the 2026 Men\u2019s T20 World Cup. \u201cI honestly believe mentally he is in a very good space. Actually, in a better space than he\u2019s been in previous years in that regard. Is it his toughest challenge? I feel he\u2019s gone through a lot more than this.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo whatever decision you make, you don\u2019t know what the future lies and what the future will hold. So in that aspect, we as a franchise always invest in the player and what the player at his best can bring to our table, and we know what Cam Green can do,\u201d he elaborated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut yes, teams are playing him well. Doesn\u2019t mean he can\u2019t come back - it just means that it\u2019s another challenge in his life like he\u2019s had prior, and we are trying and we are hoping and in every way backing him, and I hope the fans and the world do too, for him to come back once again, either in this game or in the future. But it\u2019s inevitable that he will bounce back as he has in the past,\u201d he concluded. <\/p>\r\n\r\n