Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have certainly made some big buys for IPL 2026, bagging Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana at the auction in Abu Dhabi last week. The Abhishek Nayar-headed coaching staff, however, will have their task cut out to ensure the new players gel with the rest of the squad, the key to a successful campaign.

The dynamics of the Knight Riders, though, aren’t anything new to Nayar, as he has already worked in the franchise in the capacity of an assistant coach. His responsibility this time around is obviously bigger, but his knowledge of the players, especially the ones on the Indian domestic circuit, is worth appreciation and of big help to KKR during the recent auction, assistant coach Shane Watson emphasised.

“I’ll say this straight away. I think Abhishek Nayar knows just about every cricketer on the planet. His understanding of Indian domestic players, their stats, where they’re at, what they’ve been doing recently, the depth of his intel is extraordinary.

“I’m not sure I’ve come across anyone with that level of knowledge across Indian cricket,” Watson said in a recent interaction.

“Going into the auction, I had complete confidence that even if we missed out on any domestic player we were targeting, Abhishek would already have had two or three alternatives lined up with clear insight into their strengths.

“He was regularly sending me videos, breaking down each player’s performances across every possible scenario. That level of preparation gave us enormous confidence. Leaning on Abhishek’s intel, we knew things were going to work out well for us in the auction.

“When you have someone like Abhishek leading that process, you know you’re always going to build a squad filled with some serious domestic talent and quality,” the former Australia all-rounder elaborated.

Versatile Green

Australia seamer all-rounder Green, also a hard-hitter, turned out to be the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history after the Knights shelled out ₹25.20 crore to acquire him. The “versatility” of Green, who has had success earlier in the IPL, will be crucial for the three-time champions, Watson believes.

“I’ve had a number of conversations with him (Green) over the years, to be able to just help him whenever he needed it. But I haven’t had a chance to work with him in a team and help him on his journey to be the very best that he possibly can be,”
Watson said.

“Now, because of KKR, I get a chance to be able to work with him and pass on my knowledge that I was so fortunate to gain throughout my playing days, having played with so many incredible players. From a KKR perspective, it’s good to have someone who can bat in the top three, or if needed, he also can bat at No.6 and 7 and power-hit, given the incredible power-hitter that he is.

“That makes him incredibly versatile. He is also a good fast bowler. He’s tall, gets bounce and he has also got more to be able to grow from a bowling perspective,” Watson explained.

The Knights would only hope Green keeps himself away from injuries.