IPL 2026: KKR Captain Rahane Defers on Green’s Bowling to Cricket Australia, Fans Express Outrage

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane addressed Cameron Green’s bowling status after KKR’s IPL 2026 opener loss, saying questions should be directed to Cricket Australia. Fans expressed frustration over the board’s interference, questioning CA’s role despite KKR spending ₹25.2 crore on the Australian all-rounder.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane gave a straightforward answer on all-rounder Cameron Green’s bowling status after the six-wicket defeat in their opening IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 29.

The KKR franchise bought Green for a staggering 25.2 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in December last year, making him the most expensive overseas player and the third overall after Rishabh Pant (INR 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants) and Shreyas Iyer (INR 26.75 crore by Punjab Kings) in the history of the Indian Premier League.

The Australian all-rounder made his KKR debut in their opening match against MI, scoring 18 off 10 balls, including a six and a four, at a strike rate of 180. However, Cameron Green didn’t bowl throughout the innings, leaving KKR to rely solely on other bowlers as they struggled to contain the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup.

Rahane Points Fingers at CA Over Green’s Bowling

Cameron Green’s unavailability for bowling throughout the second innings apparently left KKR’s bowling attack stretched as the Mumbai Indians completely dominated the chase. Speaking at the post-match presentation after the defeat to the five-time champions, Rahane was asked about Green’s bowling role.

Without any hesitation, the KKR skipper pointed fingers at Cricket Australia for the all-rounder’s bowling status.

“I believe this is the question you should ask Cricket Australia.” Rahane said.

Cameron Green has limited his bowling since returning from a serious back injury and has often been used by Australia across all formats, preventing him from taking on a full bowling workload in the IPL.

In the Ashes 2025-26, wherein Australia successfully defended the urn, the 26-year-old bowled only 61.5 overs across nine innings, meaning he bowled just around 6.5 overs per innings, indicating a reduced workload. In the T20 World Cup 2026, Green bowled only 3.1 overs in five matches.

Fans Question Cricket Australia’s Interference in IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders Ajinkya Rahane’s blunt statement left the fans questioning Cricket Australia’s role in restricting Cameron Green’s bowling duties in the IPL. Despite splurging INR 25.2 crore on the acquisition of the Australian all-rounder, fans were left frustrated that Green didn’t bowl even a single over in KKR’s opening match.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed Cricket Australia for interfering with the team’s decisions of the IPL franchises, questioning the logic of paying top money for players who aren’t allowed to bowl, and calling for clearer rules and accountability ahead of future seasons.

At the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Cameron Green listed himself as a batter rather than an all-rounder, sparking speculations about whether the Australian cricketer is prioritising his batting role over bowling.

Green was not part of the last IPL season as he was ruled out due to a back injury. However, across the 2023 and 2024 seasons for the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively, the Australian all-rounder bowled 73.1 overs, averaging just over 36 overs per season, further highlighting his limited bowling workload in recent years.

It remains to be seen whether Cameron Green will return to bowling as the ongoing IPL season progresses, as the Kolkata Knight Riders are aiming to clinch their fourth triumph.