File photo of Cameron Green.© BCCI
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane addressed concerns surrounding Cameron Green after the all-rounder did not bowl in the IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday. Green, who was acquired by KKR for a record Rs 25.20 crore (with a salary cap of Rs 18 crore), scored a brisk 18 off 10 balls with the bat. However, he did not bowl a single over as KKR suffered a six-wicket defeat in their season opener against the five-time champions. Speaking after the match, Rahane clarified the reasons behind the decision.
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 to bowl 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 question you need to ask Cricket Australia. [On positives] We batted well and I thought Kartik Tyagi bowled well. Played after a while but he was really good. Lot of positives and long way to go,” said Rahane.
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.
It was vintage Rohit as the former captain turned back the clock with a sensational innings, just when everyone was thinking till when he would continue to play in T20 after quitting it at the international stage.
(With IANS Inputs)