Shane Watson has spoken in glowing terms about his new colleague at Kolkata Knight Riders, praising head coach Abhishek Nayar’s exceptional knowledge of Indian domestic cricket. The former Australian all-rounder, who recently joined KKR as assistant coach, also shared his excitement about working with Cameron Green, the franchise’s record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore signing at the IPL 2025 auction. Watson’s comments give insight into how KKR prepared for the auction and why they invested heavily in Green.

Watson on Nayar’s unmatched cricket knowledge

Speaking on Kolkata Knight Riders’ YouTube channel after the December 16 auction, Watson was full of praise for Nayar’s understanding of the Indian cricket landscape. He said,

“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 - it’s extraordinary. I’m not sure I’ve come across anyone with that level of knowledge across Indian cricket.”

Watson explained how Nayar’s preparation gave the KKR management enormous confidence heading into the auction. He revealed,

“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.”

The Australian also credited Nayar’s work for KKR’s success in building a strong squad with quality domestic talent. He added,

“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.”

Why KKR paid Rs 25.20 crore for Cameron Green

Watson did not hide his excitement about working with Cameron Green, who became the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history when KKR bought him for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction. The former all-rounder explained his personal connection to Green’s role as a cricketer. He said,

“I’m going to initially talk from my selfish point of view, okay? I’ve always been a massive fan of Cameron Green. I’m an all-rounder at heart, so I know what it takes to push the limits to be the best all-rounder that you possibly can be. And I’ve always absolutely loved everything about Cameron Green - the way he goes about his skill set as a batter, and his incredible skill set as a bowler as well.”

Watson spoke about his desire to work closely with Green and help him grow further. He said,

“I’ve had a number of conversations with him over the years, to be able to just help him wherever he needs it. But I haven’t had a chance to be able to work with him in a team and help him on his journey to be the very best that he possibly can be. 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 be able to gain throughout my playing days, playing with so many incredible players.”

Green’s versatility makes him valuable

From a team perspective, Watson highlighted Cameron Green’s flexibility with both bat and ball. He explained,

“From a KKR perspective, to be able to have someone who can bat in the top three, (he has scored IPL hundreds in those positions) or if needed, he also can bat at six and seven and power hit - he’s an incredible power hitter. That makes him incredibly versatile. He is also a world-class fast bowler. He’s tall, he gets bounce, and he’s also got more to be able to grow from a bowling perspective.”

Green has previously played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. He skipped the previous auction due to a long-term injury but is now fully fit and ready to represent his third IPL franchise. With Watson’s mentoring and KKR’s strong support system, the Australian all-rounder will be expected to deliver match-winning performances across multiple roles in IPL 2025.