KKR's $4.17 million signing was in sparkling form on Saturday, blasting an unbeaten half-century (52no off 28 balls) and taking 1-25 as the Knight Riders charged to a 29-run victory over Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens.
The vastly talented Test allrounder has seemed more comfortable as the season has worn on and KKR's dismal start, when they lost their first five completed matches, feels a thing of the distant past as they've now won five of the past six and, lying seventh, could yet squeeze into the knockout stage.
Green has made 30 or more in six of his past nine knocks, and has totalled 316 runs in all at an average of 39.5, while striking at a decent rattle of 150. This was his second half-century of the season.
But even he would concede that KKR's latest Eden Gardens romp was really down to the platform laid by another rollicking knock from Kiwi Finn Allen, the Perth Scorchers' destroyer who teed off for 93 off just 35 balls, with 10 sixes, at the top of the order.
How Gujarat paid for dropping last season's BBL top-scorer twice, on 14 and 33. "Sometimes you get little bit lucky," Allen smiled. "I just tried to continue for as long as I could."
Aided by a barely less spectacular 82no off 44 from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, it enabled the Knight Riders, who had been asked to bat, to pile up a massive 2-247. Their 22 sixes were the second most ever whacked in any IPL innings.
Even pretty speedy half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan (53no off 28), captain Shubman Gill (85 off 49) and Jos Buttler (57 off 35) then weren't enough to keep Gujartat up with the necessary run rate, with the wily Sunil Narine proving so difficult to get away with his 2-29 off four overs in his 200th IPL game.
It's now possible that Kolkata could still make the top-four if they can win their remaining two matches, both at their home stadium, but Gujarat, with Matthew Hayden working as their batting coach, just need victory against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday to confirm their playoff place.
"Dropping three sitters, I don't think we deserved to win this one," Gill sighed. "Best to have a game like this now rather than in the qualifiers."
