The Australia all-rounder and a vital member of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Cameron Green has carried his Indian Premier League (IPL) form, from the last season. He was in tremendous touch with the bat for the Mumbai Indians in 2023.
Having been transferred to the RCB side this side, Cameron Green found himself under, after questions were raised on his INR 17.5 crore price tag, given his poor performance of just 55 runs in the first five games of this IPL 2024.
But along with the team’s fortune, the all-rounder also showed improved capabilities in the competition. His 2/12 and an unbeaten 37-run knock helped them getting the better of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Cameron Green has also been picked by the national team for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The leadership group has helped me a lot – Cameron Green
The all-rounder has showed his value both with the bat and the ball. Coming at a crucial stage where scoring runs at an aggressive pace becomes so vital, Green has done his bit.
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‘It’s been a pretty crazy year. We thought we were down and out at the halfway mark, and it was a pretty incredible return so far. We are a strong group off the field and are close to each other and that’s what held us together,’ Cameron Green expressed in a recent interview about his journey with the RCB team.
When he was brought by the franchise, the eyes were on his INR 17.5 crore and how much he could stand on that given tag.
‘No, not really. The coaching staff has been awesome, not really adding to that pressure. I had the same pressure last year (with the Mumbai Indians) and that have me a lot of confidence. I just try to play my best cricket and help the team as best I can,’ The Australia all-rounder said in the same interview.
Playing for the RCB means, the youngster has been under the wings of the experienced players like Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, from whom Green could take so much lessons going forward.
‘When you have experienced people, that can help you through different things. Also, Andy (RCB Head coach Andy Flower) has been a coach for a few different things in franchise cricket.’ The 24-year-old remarked. ‘He understand the pressures, the ups and downs. The same goes for Virat and Faf. So, the leadership group has helped me a lot.’
‘We play our natural game and with a bit more aggression’ – Green
The all-rounded spoke about how proud he was while being picked for the national T20 World Cup squad. He also feels that in 20-over format, no one expects much from Australia and that ‘underdog’ tag works in their favor.
‘In the previous World Cups, not much was expected from us in the T20 format. But now we must be close to the favorites. When you are the underdog, it’s always easy to play your best since you’ve nothing to lose. This year, we’ve got a bit more to lose, because we’ve got a very good team. This gives us a lot of confidence,’ The upcoming Australia super-star, Cameron Green replied.
India always find it so tough to carry the pressure of expectations. They always do the hard yard, and suddenly one slip breaks all the dream in a blink of an eye. For Australia, playing the natural game with a little more aggression has worked, according to Green.
‘We’ve always had a lot of confidence because we’ve had a lot of success previously. That allows us to go into the tournament with less pressure because most of the team members have won a T20 World Cup already and the ODI World Cup as well. We play our natural game and probably play with a bit more aggression than other countries do,’ Cameron Green said in that interview.
He also mentioned about not expecting to play the first game of the World Cup, but with a long tournament, chances can come at any single day.
‘Everyone loves being in good form. You always play your best cricket. When you’re not thinking as much. When you’re playing really well, all the other things don’t really matter. Heading into the World Cup, I feel good about my current form,’ Cameron Green concluded.
The all-rounder will be in action during RCB’s Eliminator game on May 22, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
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