Cricket Australia has finally responded to the claims made by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who had accused the board of preventing all-rounder Cameron Green from bowling. KKR suffered a six-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2026 opener on Sunday. Despite posting a commanding total of 220/4, KKR ended up on the losing side as MI chased down the target with five balls to spare. After the match, Rahane looked visibly disappointed as he was unable to use Green as a bowling option during the game.
In the post-match interaction, Rahane confirmed that Green has not been fully cleared to bowl by Cricket Australia following his recovery from a previous back injury.
“Hopefully Green starts bowling soon and the combination will be slightly different. We batted really well, but finding that balance with the ball is really important. [On why Green can’t bowl] That is a question you need to ask Cricket Australia. [On positives] We batted well and I thought Kartik Tyagi bowled well. He played after a long time, but he was really good. There are a lot of positives, and it’s a long way to go,” Rahane said.
As Rahane’s statement sparked discussion around Green’s availability, Cricket Australia has now clarified that the all-rounder has not fully recovered from the lower-back injury he sustained during the T20 World Cup.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
Coming back to the match, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton struck blazing half-centuries to help the Mumbai Indians romp to a six-wicket win, ending their embarrassing streak of not winning their opening match in 13 seasons.
After pacer Shardul Thakur had claimed 3-39 to halt a rampaging KKR with skipper Ajinkya Rahane (67) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51) scoring half-centuries, Rohit Sharma struck a majestic 78 off 38 balls, and Rickelton blasted 81 off 43 balls as the Mumbai Indians reached 224/4 in 19.1 overs to secure their first victory in a season-opener since 2012.
(With IANS Inputs)
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