Ajinkya Rahane, the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, said that Cricket Australia is the right body to explain why all-rounder Cameron Green did not bowl in the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians. However, he also mentioned that once Green starts bowling, the team’s bowling combination will change.
Green was the most expensive player in the IPL 2026 auction, bought by KKR for ₹25.20 crore. But in the match at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, March 29, he did not bowl even a single ball. Mumbai Indians chased down a big target of 221 runs in just 19.1 overs. Green also didn’t do much with the bat, scoring only 18 runs off 10 balls.
After the match, while speaking at the presentation ceremony, Rahane gave a sharp reply when asked why Green didn’t bowl. He said (via ESPNcricinfo):
“Ask Cricket Australia.”
The experienced batter said that KKR is still trying to find the right team balance for now. He added that things will probably change once Green starts bowling. Rahane explained:
“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 that once Green hopefully starts bowling soon, the team combination might change a bit. Right now, they are trying to figure out the right balance and decide who can bowl well for the team.
He added that their batting has been good, but getting the bowling balance right is very important. So, they are hoping Green starts bowling soon, which will help them decide the best team combination.
Ajinkya Rahane highlights injury concerns affecting KKR’s bowling balance
Even though Green didn’t bowl against MI on Sunday, KKR are also dealing with several injury problems in the team. Akash Deep and Harshit Rana are out for the whole season, while Matheesha Pathirana will miss the first few matches. Rahane admitted that these injuries are making things difficult for the team, but he also said it’s a good chance for other players to step up and perform. He said:
“I think always the first couple of games you don’t get your right combination. 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 – Kartik, Vaibhav, Muzarabani, Saurabh [Dubey]; you’ve got Umran [Malik] as well, [and] Navdeep Saini. So it is an opportunity for everyone.”
Even though Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Mumbai Indians by six wickets, captain Ajinkya Rahaneplayed really well, scoring 67 runs off 40 balls. KKR’s next match in IPL 2026 will be against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on April 2.
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