Cricket Australia has cleared the air on Cameron Green, saying that Kolkata Knight Riders were aware that he wouldn’t be able to bowl in the first few matches of the IPL as part of his workload management following a lower-back surgery in 2024.
Green, KKR’s ₹25.20 crore recruit, didn’t bowl in their opener against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Sunday night, which they lost by six wickets. He scored 18 off 10 balls and was not among the six bowlers used by the Knights as the Mumbai Indians chased down 221 with five balls to spare.
An exasperated Rahane, when asked about the challenges surrounding team balance and Green’s availability as a bowler, said: “Ask Cricket Australia”.
CA clarified on Monday that Green’s absence from the bowling crease was due to a “lower-back injury”. He’s currently dealing with a minor complaint and his IPL franchise was well briefed on the details.
“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.”
A senior KKR functionary, however, refused to answer queries surrounding Green’s non-availability from bowling and CA’s communication. If the franchise was informed as CA claims, how did the captain have no clue about such an important directive?
Green did not bowl competitively for 12 months from September 2024 to October 2025, having undergone surgery on a stress fracture in his back.
KKR are already struggling with injuries to multiple pacers and have to rely mainly on an inexperienced combination. The lack of sting in their bowling came through as Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton smashed 148 off 72 balls in an opening stand.
The all-rounder did not bowl in his most recent Sheffield Shield appearance for Western Australia a couple of weeks ago, but did roll his arm over at the T20 World Cup. Across his last eight competitive appearances, he has bowled only 7.1 overs.
“When he (Green) starts bowling, the combination will be slightly different. Finding that balance with the ball is really important, so hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, so we can find the combinations that will be okay,” Rahane said on Sunday.
The workload and injury management of the Australian players, especially their fast bowlers, has come under intense scrutiny this time. Josh Hazlewood has linked up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru but wasn’t match-fit for the opener. Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc put out a public statement clarifying that he is still recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries.
Sunrisers’ Pat Cummins, too, is currently sitting out due to a lumbar stress issue, while Jack Edwards has been completely ruled out. CSK’s Nathan Ellis too will miss the entire tournament.