Former India off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin thinks Kolkata Knight Riders have put together a “terrific side” with big-money buys at the mini auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

“KKR have a terrific side, I don’t know whether Ajinkya (Rahane) will lead. But if he leads that side with composure, that is one side to reckon with. Another team is the Rajasthan Royals. After doing such big trades, you come into the auction and bag Ravi Bishnoi for ₹7 crore,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“The biggest challenge is how they can bring (Matheesha) Pathirana back to his best. If they can manage to squeeze in his overs with the mystery spinners, how will opponents score? KKR are one hell of a team,” Ashwin said.

KKR acquired Australia’s Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore and Pathirana for ₹18 crore. They also snapped up the New Zealand trio of Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra and Finn Allen at their base prices.

“...I had a sense that CSK were bidding more out of necessity than intent... it didn’t feel like they were fully committed to acquiring him.

“Personally, I felt Cameron Green would have been a terrific addition to CSK, and in that sense, they may have missed a small trick. That said, this isn’t about the price point. Cameron Green is a generational talent, and for KKR, he is an outstanding acquisition,” Ashwin added.