After Kolkata Knight Rides (KKR) failed to defend 220 runs in their IPL 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians (MI), skipper Ajinkya Rahane said they posted a good total on the board but lost due to an inexperienced bowling attack facing a strong opposition batting lineup.
Rahane expressed hope for Cameron Green to start bowling soon to balance the side. When questioned about the record-breaking INR 25.20 crore signing not bowling, he bluntly suggested asking Cricket Australia.
On Monday (March 30), Cricket Australia clarified that Green is recovering from a lower back injury sustained during the T20 World Cup earlier in the year.
A CA spokesperson stated that the lanky all-rounder is currently "rebuilding his bowling loads" in India and is expected to return to bowling in approximately 10-12 days.
"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."
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rahane addressed concerns about the lack of a settled bowling combination.
"I think when hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, the combination will be slightly different. At the moment, we have to see the balance and who can bowl well for us. Batting-wise, as I said, we batted really well, but finding that balance with the ball is really important. So, hopefully, Green starts to bowl soon, [and] then we can find out whether the combination will be okay," Rahane said.
KKR are facing significant challenges in the pace department, with Harshit Rana and Akash Deep being ruled out of the entire 2026 season due to knee ligament and lumbar stress injuries respectively.
Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana (signed for INR 18 crore) is expected to miss the initial part of the tournament due to a calf strain, with expected availability around mid-April.
During their campaign opener, KKR went with Blessing Muzarabani, Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora as fast bowlers, while Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy shared spin duties.
Rahane described it as a "challenging phase" that nevertheless offers an opportunity for others to step up.
"I think always the first couple of games you don't get your right combination," Rahane said at the post-match presser. "It is challenging because our bowlers are injured, but I think there is an opportunity for other players to show up and do really well and make a name for themselves. As I said, [there's] Kartik, Vaibhav, Muzarabani, Saurabh [Dubey]; you've got Umran [Malik] as well, [and] Navdeep Saini, who has been really impressive during practice sessions and practice matches. So it is an opportunity for everyone."
With the pace unit weakened, the team is relying heavily on spinners Chakaravarthy and Narine, and the KKR captain stressed the need for better balance to ease their burden.
"Unfortunately, Cameron Green cannot bowl at this moment," Rahane said. "When he starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different. At the moment for us having that sixth option as a bowler is really important because we don't want to put too much pressure on our spinners as well, because as I said, Sunil and Varun have experience.
"Vaibhav just started to do really well last year. He had a good season for us, but we don't want to put too much pressure [on him]. Batting-wise, we will take that responsibility to score runs, but the bowlers will take some time, and I am sure they will be okay, they will be fine."
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
