Ajinkya Rahane, the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, said that Cricket Australia is the precise body to elucidate why all-rounder Cameron Green didn’t bowl within the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians. Nonetheless, he also mentioned that when Green starts bowling, the team’s bowling combination will change.
Green was the most costly player within the IPL 2026 auction, bought by KKR for ₹25.20 crore. But within the match at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, March 29, he didn’t bowl even a single ball. Mumbai Indians chased down an enormous goal of 221 runs in only 19.1 overs. Green also didn’t do much with the bat, scoring only 18 runs off 10 balls.
After the match, while speaking on the presentation ceremony, Rahane gave a pointy reply when asked why Green didn’t bowl. He said (via ESPNcricinfo):
“Ask Cricket Australia.”
The experienced batter said that KKR remains to be trying to seek out the precise team balance for now. He added that things will probably change once Green starts bowling. Rahane explained:
“I feel when hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, the mix will likely be barely different. In the meanwhile, now we have to see the balance and who can bowl well for us. Batting-wise, as I said, we batted rather well, but finding that balance with the ball is actually necessary. So, hopefully, Green starts to bowl soon, [and] then we are able to discover whether the mix will likely be okay.”
Rahane said that when Green hopefully starts bowling soon, the team combination might change a bit. Straight away, they try to determine the precise balance and choose who can bowl well for the team.
He added that their batting has been good, but getting the bowling balance right could be very necessary. So, they’re hoping Green starts bowling soon, which can help them determine the very best team combination.
Ajinkya Rahane highlights injury concerns affecting KKR’s bowling balance
Regardless that Green didn’t bowl against MI on Sunday, KKR are also coping with several injury problems within the team. Akash Deep and Harshit Rana are out for the entire season, while Matheesha Pathirana will miss the primary few matches. Rahane admitted that these injuries are making things difficult for the team, but he also said it’s probability for other players to step up and perform. He said:
“I feel all the time the primary couple of games you don’t get your right combination. It’s difficult because our bowlers are injured, but I feel there’s a chance for other players to indicate up and do rather well and make a reputation for themselves – Kartik, Vaibhav, Muzarabani, Saurabh [Dubey]; you’ve got Umran [Malik] as well, [and] Navdeep Saini. So it’s a chance for everybody.”
Regardless that Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Mumbai Indians by six wickets, captain Ajinkya Rahaneplayed rather well, scoring 67 runs off 40 balls. KKR’s next match in IPL 2026 will likely be against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on April 2.
Get the most recent cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.