KKR, Cricket Australia seeing red over Cameron Green

MUMBAI: Australian allrounder Cameron Green, at Rs 25.20 crore, the IPL’s costliest-ever overseas player, is at the centre of a controversy. When the Aussie didn’t bowl a single over in Kolkata Knight Riders’ defeat to Mumbai Indians in Sunday’s high-profile, high-scoring clash at the Wankhede, it raised questions over why KKR splurged so much on an allrounder who was not being called in to bowl.

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After KKR failed to defend 220 and went down by six wickets, captain Ajinkya Rahane further raised hackles in his reply to why Green didn’t bowl. “That question you need to ask Cricket Australia,” said Rahane, indicating that the board may have asked Green to avoid bowling.




In response, Cricket Australia clarified that Green has a lower back injury and that KKR were fully informed about it. “Cameron has a lower back injury, which is being managed but requires him to abstain from bowling for a short period. You would note he also did not bowl in his last Sheffield Shield game for Western Australia due to the same issue,” a CA spokesperson told TOI on Monday. “Cameron is currently rebuilding his bowling loads in India with a view to returning in around 10-12 days. KKR has been communicated with and is fully aware of this information,” the spokesperson added.

During the IPL 2026 auction in November last year, Green was registered as a specialist batter instead of an allrounder, sparking concerns around his fitness. Green later clarified it was a clerical error by his manager and that he was fit to bowl in the IPL, triggering a record bid for him. Green was part of Australia’s 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, where he bowled just a few overs and on returning home featured in a Sheffield Shield match only as a batter. Across his last eight matches, he has bowled just 7.1 overs.

On Sunday, KKR used six bowlers but all proved expensive as MI chased down the target in 19.1 overs for a six-wicket win. At the post-match presentation, Rahane admitted that Green not bowling disrupted KKR’s balance.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra criticised the situation, saying it was unfair for a franchise to pay for an allrounder and receive only a batter. “If you pay for an allrounder and get a batsman in return, you should, at the very least, be eligible for a refund,” Chopra wrote on X on Sunday.