Cameron Green’s absence with the ball in KKR’s IPL opener was due to a managed lower-back injury, with his return timeline already communicated by Cricket Australia.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ big-money signing Cameron Green did not bowl in their IPL opener against Mumbai Indians, raising questions about team balance. Captain Ajinkya Rahane initially kept things brief when asked about it, saying, “Ask Cricket Australia”.
The clarification soon came from Cricket Australia, which confirmed that Green is currently managing a minor lower-back issue.
A CA spokesperson explained, “Cameron has a lower-back injury, which is being managed, but requires him to abstain from bowling for a short period. 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.”
Notably, Green’s bowling workload has already been limited in recent months. After undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his back, he did not bowl competitively for over a year between September 2024 and October 2025.
Rahane Opens Up on Team Combination Concerns
Rahane acknowledged that Green’s inability to bowl has disrupted the team’s ideal combination, especially in the bowling department.
“I think when hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, the combination will be slightly different,” he said at the presentation. “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.”
He further highlighted the importance of having an additional bowling option, “Unfortunately, Cameron Green cannot bowl at this moment. When he starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different. At the moment, for us having that sixth option as a bowler is really important because we don’t want to put too much pressure on our spinners as well”
Injury Woes Test KKR’s Bowling Depth
KKR’s struggles have been compounded by injuries to multiple frontline pacers, forcing the team to experiment with less experienced players. In their six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians, KKR fielded pacers Blessing Muzarabani, Kartik Tyagi, and Vaibhav Arora, while spin duties were handled by Varun Chakravarthy alongside allrounders Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy.
Despite the challenges, Rahane viewed the situation as an opportunity for others to step up. “I think always the first couple of games you don’t get your right combination,” he said at the post-match press conference.
“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. As I said, [there’s] Kartik, Vaibhav, Muzarabani, Saurabh [Dubey]; you’ve got Umran [Malik] as well, [and] Navdeep Saini, who has been really impressive during practice sessions and practice matches. So it is an opportunity for everyone.”
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Even though Green was seen bowling in training sessions before the match, he did not take the field as a bowler. Across his last eight competitive matches, he has bowled only 7.1 overs, including none in his most recent Sheffield Shield appearance.
Rahane reiterated the need to protect the spin attack while waiting for Green’s return, “Unfortunately, Cameron Green cannot bowl at this moment,” he said. “When he starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different. At the moment for us having that sixth option as a bowler is really important because we don’t want to put too much pressure on our spinners as well, because as I said, Sunil and Varun have experience.
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