Cameron Green’s didn’t bowl in KKR’s campaign opener against MI, sparking significant controversy.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green not bowling in the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) first match of the IPL 2026 season against Mumbai Indians (MI) sparked significant controversy.
While KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane hinted at frustration, Cricket Australia (CA) clarified the franchise was pre-informed of this workload management.
While it remains to be seen if Green will bowl during KKR’s second match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he was going full tilt in the nets on the eve the fixture at the Eden Gardens.
Speaking to the media before the SRH clash, KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar addressed the move to acquire Green for a record sum of INR 25.20 crore, despite knowing that he won't be able to bowl for some time.
"Well, I think the idea of picking a player in an auction is not always very short-sighted. You look at what a player has done over a number of years and the skills that he possesses," Nayar told reporters.
"This sport is interesting in that way that a lot of times you pick up a player with certain progress and sometimes they may even do the skill you are talking about and not perform. But for us, Cameron Green the cricketer and the all-rounder was really important," he added.
"You take a lot of things into consideration at times, whether there is an injury, fitness updates, but eventually, I think when the auction happens and when the tournament happens, it's not immediate," he continued.
While Nayar acknowledged that Green is unfortunate not to bowl at the moment, he said the idea of picking the Aussie star was to carry the Andre Russell legacy forward.
"It's not in your control, but that's the sport and that's the beauty of the sport. So we always consider best-case scenarios. Yes, you want backup, you take players who do certain things, but when we went to the auction, the thought was very simple. If Russ wasn't there, who is the next best all-rounder that we felt in the world and could add a lot of value and could take that Russell legacy forward in a different role? We felt Cameron could do that for us. It's just unfortunate that he has not been able to go so far," Nayar remarked.
After losing to MI, Rahane had expressed hope for Cameron Green to start bowling soon to balance the side. When asked during the post-match presentation why Green did not bowl, the KKR captain responded bluntly, "That’s the question you need to ask to Cricket Australia".
Following the backlash, a Cricket Australia spokesperson clarified that Cameron Green is currently managing a lower back injury and is "rebuilding his bowling loads".
CA stated they expect the lanky all-rounder to return to bowling in approximately 10-12 days and claimed KKR was fully aware of this plan.
"Cameron has a lower-back injury, which is being managed, but requires him to abstain from bowling for a short period," a CA spokesperson said. "Cameron is currently rebuilding his bowling loads in India with a view to return in around 10-12 days' time. KKR has been communicated with and is fully aware of this information."