India, April 9 -- In an IPL season that has barely settled into a rhythm, Cameron Green has already become the Kolkata Knight Riders' easiest target. The price tag invites that. Rs.25.20 crore does not buy patience in public imagination. It buys instant returns, match-turning contributions and a version of the player that makes debate feel unnecessary. Green has given KKR none of that yet. He has scored 18, 2 and 4 in his first three innings for the franchise and has not bowled so far, which is why the noise around his place has grown louder with each passing game.

And yet, for all the frustration around him, this is precisely why KKR cannot afford to make a panic move now. Dropping Green at this point may satisfy the anger outside the d...