Kris Srikkanth wondered whether Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made the right decision by spending Rs 18 crore on his signing. Mathisha Pathirana In the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday, December 16. The 1983 World Cup winner described Pathirana as an inconsistent bowler, but he praised the three-time champion for securing the services of Mustafizur Rahman as a backup for the Sri Lankan youngster.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) in the bidding war before losing to KKR, who had entered the auction with the highest purse – Rs 64.3 crore. Srikkanth was surprised to see Pathirana sold for such a huge sum as he explained how the 22-year-old struggled with the ball in IPL 2025. The cricketer turned expert mentioned how players like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Devon Conway went unsold after a poor season.
“Pathirana is a big risk. He is a hit-and-miss bowler. But KKR have made a smart move by buying Mustafizur Rahman as well. They have got Pathirana's backup with Mustafizur. It was expected that Bravo's presence would see Pathirana go to KKR. But I was surprised by his price and the number of teams that went for him,” Srikkanth said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
He said, “LSG kept betting for him till 18 crores. Is he such a big bowler to go for 18 crores? His performance in the last IPL season was very ordinary. Many players are out after one bad season. Someone like Fraser McGurk has not performed well in one season and he is not in this position either. Same with Devon Conway.”
Srikkanth said he expected Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to fetch a big price (Rs 25.2 crore), which he did and he believed Green would bat in the top three.
Srikkanth said, “Cameron Green's performance was as expected. There was an expectation of Rs 25 crore for him and he deserves it. The good thing for Green and KKR is that he will bat at his favorite position. He will play in the top three consistently and will not go to 4 and 5.”
Congratulations to the management for choosing a good team: Srikanth
The former India chief selector said the Ajinkya Rahane-led team had a great auction but questioned whether they had enough strength in the middle order.
“They had a fantastic auction. Congratulations to the management for picking a good team. They came up with an excellent plan because they had the money power. The only cause for concern are a few batting positions from No. 4 to 6. Especially after Rahane and Raghuvanshi, No. 5 is a bit of a concern,” he said.
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