Cameron Green's statement to Aussie cricket selectors amid Virat Kohli IPL masterclass

Cameron Green has shown selectors why they were right to name him in Australia's T20 World Cup squad, with an impressive cameo performance alongside Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Green was a high-profile signing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of this season but has hardly set the tournament alight.

However, on Friday he showed glimpses of his best, with a rapid-fire 46 off just 27 balls helping his side to a 60-run win over the Punjab Kings. He hit five fours and a six before he was caught on the boundary while slogging the last ball of the innings trying to complete his 50. It was his best score in the 2024 edition of the tournament in nine innings.

However, it was his job supporting Indian maestro Kohli at the crease that was most crucial. In what was a must-win game for RCB to keep their hopes of playing finals alive, Kohli smacked 92 off just 47 balls at the top of the order.

The pair's heroics helped the side reach an imposing 7-241 off their 20 overs on Friday. In response, the Kings never looked likely to chase down the high total, bowled out for 181 in 17 overs to end their chances in this year's tournament.

The win was the fourth in a row for RCB, who currently sit seventh on the table. While the win showcased just how good they can be, Kohli still doesn't believe they will manage to make the playoffs after a slow start to the season.

"I have to be honest, we were not good enough in the first half of the tournament," Kohli said. "We got to a point where we said, 'don't look at the table, play for self-respect'. Make yourselves proud and the fans. We need to raise our level. If we had done so earlier we would be in a position needing to rely on so many factors to qualify."

The two Aussies signed to the IPL franchise have had underwhelming campaigns. While Green's knock on Friday showed a glimpse of what he can do on the big stage, it doesn't cover up the fact that he hasn't brought up a half-century all tournament. His Australian counterpart Glenn Maxwell has also been underwhelming, consigned to the bench for Friday's match after a horror campaign in which he took a break mid-tournament following a string of single-figure scores.

Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell make World Cup squad on reputation

Green is the youngest player at 24 to be selected in Australia's upcoming T20 World Cup campaign, with him, Maxwell and other veteran Aussies making the final squad largely due to their experience and success at the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. "There's been a discussion around the age profile of our team in all formats," Australia coach Andrew McDonald said earlier this week.

"I'm a big believer in you don't know when the end is going to be. And a lot of people write off those players just based around their age.

"We feel as though in the last 12 months in particular in the white-ball space we've given plenty of opportunities to other players. Have we gone back to the tried and tested in terms of World Cups and the performers that we know can perform on that stage? There's no doubt about that."

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Jake Fraser-McGurk snubbed despite scintillating IPL form

However, there was no place in Australia's upcoming T20 World Cup for Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite the youngster shining in this year's IPL. Earlier this week in his first match since being snubbed, Fraser-McGurk blasted a 19-ball fifty to set an IPL record in just his seventh game after becoming the first player to score three half-centuries under 20 balls in the competition's history. The knock was the 22-year-old's fourth half-century in his debut campaign.

with AAP