Cricket Australia was forced to explain because of the Australian all-rounder Cameron Greene After the captain is not allowed to bowl for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 Ajinkya Rahane Criticized the Australian board after being asked about Green’s avoidance of bowling duties during the opening match against KKR. Mumbai Indians Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.KKR failed to defend a total of 220, with Rahane blaming it on an inexperienced bowling unit and the original nature of the Wankhede track – the same track that scored nearly 500 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final between India and England earlier this month.KKR have been plagued by injuries, and Rahane admitted that Green’s unavailability as a bowler had thrown the team off balance.“I think when Green starts bowling soon, the combination will be a bit different,” Rahane said during the post-match chat. “Right now, we have to look at the balance and who can bowl well for us. Batting-wise, like I said, we batted really well, but it’s really important to find that balance with the ball. So, hopefully, Green starts bowling soon, then we can see if the combination will be good.”“And when asked why the 26-year-old wasn’t bowling, he hit back, saying, “That’s a question you should ask Cricket Australia,” leaving on-air commentators Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen momentarily speechless.However, Cricket Australia responded to Rahane’s remarks by saying that Green was suffering from a lower back injury and KKR had already been made fully aware of the situation.“Cameron has a lower back injury which is being managed but requires him to avoid bowling for a short period of time,” a CA spokesperson was quoted as saying by FOX Sports.“Cameron is currently rebuilding his bowling load in India with a view to return in about 10-12 days. KKR has been in touch and is fully aware of the information,” the report added, attributing it to a spokesperson.Green, the costliest buy in the IPL 2026 auction at Rs 25.20 crore, came out to bat on one down, scoring 18 off 10 balls, but was not pressed into action with the ball as the Mumbai Indians batsmen celebrated against KKR’s inexperienced bowling unit. Every KKR bowler was taken to the cleaners by Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, who opened with 148 in just 11.1 overs.Vibhu Arora conceded 52 runs in his four overs, while Blessing Mazarbani conceded 34 runs in his three overs. Karthik Tyagi, the impact sub, returned figures of 4-0-43-1. But the biggest letdown for KKR was their spin twins – Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty – who proved ineffective on the Wankhede track, scoring 78 runs between them in seven overs.
