When asked about Green participating solely as a batter in their season opener, Rahane responded, “Ask Cricket Australia”.
“A lower back injury is being managed for Cameron, which necessitates a temporary cessation of bowling,” a CA spokesperson informed PTI.
“Cameron is currently increasing his bowling loads in India, aiming for a return in approximately 10-12 days. KKR has been notified and is completely aware of this situation.” Green had not bowled competitively for nearly a year—from September 2024 to October 2025—after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his back, and post-recovery, his bowling contributions have remained limited. His last competitive bowling performance occurred during the T20 World Cup against Oman on February 20 earlier this year at Pallekele, where he bowled just two overs.
In total, Green bowled only 19 deliveries at the tournament, taking one wicket (against Zimbabwe).
KKR made a significant investment at the IPL mini-auction to secure the Australian for an impressive Rs 25.20 crore, marking him as the costliest overseas acquisition.
The franchise is currently missing crucial pacers—Matheesha Pathirana, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Mustafizur Rahman.
Mustafizur was removed from the KKR roster on the directive of the BCCI amid political tensions with Bangladesh, while Harshit and Akash Deep are sidelined due to injuries.
‘Slinger’ Pathirana, another prominent signing, is also recovering from a minor injury and has yet to join the squad.
With Green not utilized as a bowler in their IPL opener against Mumbai Indians, KKR encountered a significant pace-bowling dilemma despite defending a considerable score of 220.
They had to depend on Vaibhav Arora and debutant Blessing Muzarabani, who replaced Mustafizur, to handle new-ball responsibilities, while uncapped Kartik Tyagi was utilized as an Impact Sub.
Mumbai Indians thoroughly exploited KKR’s depleted bowling resources, as Arora allowed runs at 13 per over, and Muzarabani conceded over 11 per over on his debut, with Tyagi also exceeding 10 per over.
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued to struggle, leaking 12 runs per over, compounding their difficulties.
MI cruised to victory by six wickets with five balls remaining.
Rahane acknowledged that his team is struggling to find the right balance.
“Hopefully, Green starts bowling soon, and the combination will be slightly different. It was a significant challenge for the bowlers, with an inexperienced attack, but these boys will learn.
“We have a strong batting lineup, so this is a learning curve. I thought MI batted well. Our bowlers will definitely learn,” Rahane commented.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Mar 30, 2026 8:07 PM IST
