Kolkata Knight Riders hope to have a strong showing in Indian Premier League 2026 after a disappointing 2025. Under Ajinkya Rahane, KKR couldn't make it to the knockouts after winning the 2024 edition with Shreyas Iyer as skipper. The franchise has made some bold moves. Abhishek Nayar has been appointed as the head coach of the franchise, while Rahane will continue to lead the team. The team have also let go off the services of all-rounder Andre Russell and replaced him with Cameron Green. The team also signed Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra and Matheesha Pathirana to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. "Complete Package But Pressure Is There": Faf du Plessis Faf du Plessis, former Proteas captain, in an interaction with JioHotstar's Game Plan spoke about the all-rounder and Green's contribution to the squad. de Plessis said: “Cameron Green is a highly talented guy who has a lot of potential in him to succeed. He is the multi-skilled marquee buy for KKR and the replacement for Andre Russell. Green is six-foot tall, a massive guy, he bowls well, has a good bouncer and yorker, can hit the ball out of the stadium easily and is a proper batter." He added: "In short, he is a complete package. He balances KKR’s team very well. In terms of IPL cricket, Green has a lot of potential. But form has not been on his side recently. With a price tag of INR 25.2 crores, there is big price tag pressure he will carry. There is a lot of weight on his shoulders. The team will expect a lot from him. It will be interesting to see how he goes." It was evident that while Faf did not doubt the ability and talent of Green, it was his recent lack of form coupled with a hefty price tag that would put added pressure on him during the IPL 2026. Also Read | Watch: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Deadly Yorker Nearly Knocks Over Virat Kohli in RCB Training Faf Backs Allen-Seifert Opening Pair, Raises Bowling Concern Faf du Plessis then gave his opinion on the possible opening pair of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert and said it would be great if the team could pair them up in the middle. Faf stated: “If KKR can find a way to fit Finn Allen and Tim Seifert together in the playing XI as openers, it will be really good for them. It will make their batting very strong. Allen and Seifert know each other quite well and have an established opening partnership between each other since they open for New Zealand in T20Is. We all saw the carnage they displayed in the T20 World Cup. That counts as a massive factor." Former Proteas skipper added: "Having both of them opening the innings is perfect for the way T20 cricket is played now. They both go hard from the first ball and attack in different ways. So, if KKR can fit them together at the top, it will be really nice for the team. But the question mark is their bowling. With the injuries they have, they almost need to pick an experienced player from the unsold list and bring that required experience into their bowling attack."