'I'm pinching myself...': Cameron Green on playing closely with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

NEW DELHI: Cameron Green's early ventures in the IPL have seen him participate in 19 matches across two seasons, representing both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, this experience has also afforded him the invaluable opportunity to closely observe and learn from two contemporary cricketing stalwarts – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The Australian all-rounder views this as a golden chance to delve into the intricacies of T20 cricket and gain insights into the mindset and approach of elite players in the game.

“They are both greats in the game. Every time I think about it, I'm still pinching myself that I've been lucky enough to play with two of the greats of world cricket, if not Indian cricket,” said Green during a virtual interaction facilitated by RCB on Saturday.

So, what makes Kohli, his current teammate at RCB, and Rohit, his former captain at MI, different from others?

1/10:​Most Man of the Match awards won in IPL history

Agencies

2/10:10. Kieron Pollard

<p>Tenth on the list is Kieron Pollard, with 14 Man of the Match awards in 189 matches.</p>Agencies

3/10:9. Ravindra Jadeja

<p>Ninth on the list is Ravindra Jadeja, with 14 Man of the Match awards in 228 matches.<br /></p>Agencies

4/10:8. Shane Watson

<p>Eighth on the list is Shane Watson, with 16 Man of the Match awards in 145 matches.<br /></p>Agencies

5/10:7. Yusuf Pathan

<p>Seventh on the list is Yusuf Pathan, with 16 Man of the Match awards in 174 matches.<br /></p>Agencies

6/10:6. Virat Kohli

<p>Sixth on the list is Virat Kohli, boasting 17 Man of the Match awards in 240 matches.<br /></p>PTI

7/10:5. MS Dhoni

<p>Fifth on the list is CSK's MS Dhoni, with 17 Man of the Match awards in 252 matches.<br /></p>AFP

8/10:4. David Warner

<p>Fourth on the list is David Warner, with 18 Man of the Match awards in 178 matches.<br /></p>Agencies

9/10:3. Rohit Sharma

<p>Ranked third is Rohit Sharma, the five-time IPL-winning captain, with 19 Man of the Match awards in 245 matches.<br /></p>ANI

10/10:2. Chris Gayle

<p>Second on the list is Chris Gayle, with 22 Man of the Match awards in 142 matches.<br /></p>Agencies

Most Man of the Match awards won in IPL history

“They're both equally happy to help the team win matches. They're both equally happy to give you a lot of their time, to give you information on the other team and their own experiences and what's worked for them, what hasn't," said Green.

The 24-year-old Aussie shared a small nugget that he learned while watching Kohli from close quarters.

“Sometimes he taps the bat and sometimes he keeps the bat up when he goes to play (a) cricket shot. It's pretty interesting with the things that he comes up with — obviously he's worked it out himself (as to) what works for him.

"When he wants to hit the ball really far, he taps the bat to generate more bat speed. So yeah, there's (that) one thing (but) I don't really want to give away his secrets. Though, he's good enough that it won't affect his game," Green noted.

1/10:Most runs hit in an over in IPL

Agencies

2/10:Rahul Tewatia

<p>Rahul Tewatia hammered 30 runs off Sheldon Cottrell on September 27, 2020, solely contributing 30 runs for KXIP against RR at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.</p>Getty Images

3/10:Virat Kohli

<p>Virat Kohli smashed 30 runs off Shivil Kaushik on May 14, 2016, solely contributing 30 runs for RCB against GL at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.</p>Agencies

4/10:Shaun Marsh

<p>Shaun Marsh struck 30 runs off Johan van der Wath on May 17, 2011, scoring all 30 runs for KXIP against RCB at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala.</p>Agencies

5/10:Virender Sehwag

<p>Virender Sehwag plundered 30 runs off Andrew Symonds on April 22, 2008, solely contributing 30 runs for DC against DD at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.</p>Agencies

6/10:Saurabh Tiwary

<p>Saurabh Tiwary and Chris Gayle amassed 31 runs off Rahul Sharma on April 17, 2012, with Gayle scoring 30 and Tiwary 1 run for RCB against PWI at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.</p>Agencies

7/10:Chris Gayle and Manoj Tiwary

<p>Chris Gayle and Manoj Tiwary combined for 33 runs off Ravi Bopara on April 4, 2010, with Gayle contributing 24 and Tiwary 2 runs during a KKR vs KXIP encounter at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.</p>Agencies

8/10:Suresh Raina

<p>Suresh Raina thrashed 33 runs off Parvinder Awana on May 30, 2014, with 32 runs credited to his name in a KXIP vs CSK match at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.</p>Agencies

9/10:Pat Cummins

<p>Pat Cummins hammered 35 runs off Daniel Sams on April 6, 2022, contributing 34 runs himself for KKR against MI at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.</p>Agencies

10/10:Ravindra Jadeja

<p>Ravindra Jadeja blasted 37 runs off Harshal Patel on April 25, 2021, with 36 coming from his bat during a CSK vs RCB clash at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.</p>Agencies

Most runs hit in an over in IPL

The Western Australian cricketer so far has played in all three matches of the RCB, and batted in No. 3 and No. 5 slots.

Green wanted to maintain that flexibility in his batting and be ready to tackle any situations.

"I am still really fresh in my T20 career and still trying to work out where I am best suited. But I feel I have got the skill sets to bat anywhere.

“I (have) had success at the top of the order in the IPL. But at the same time, I feel like I physically have the capability to bat down the order,” said Green.

(With inputs from PTI)