3 min readMar 29, 2026 11:48 PM IST
There’s been significant uncertainty over the availability of some star overseas players for the start of the ongoing IPL season, and KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane threw in another question into the mix on Sunday after his side’s defeat against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. After Kolkata’s inexperienced bowling unit was put to the sword, Rahane was asked why the Rs 25.20 crore recruit Cameron Green did not bowl a single over. “That question you need to ask Cricket Australia,” was the captain’s response. “Hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, and the combination will be slightly different,” he had said a few moments earlier.
Green, who became the most expensive overseas player to be signed at any IPL auction, batted at No 3 in the team’s opening match, scoring 18 off 10 balls. He then threw himself around the field during the second half, but wasn’t brought on to bowl his medium pacers on a pitch where MI’s seamers were able to pull things back in the first half. Rahane said the team’s balance would get better when Green starts bowling.
“It was really tough for the bowlers,” Rahane said about the conditions. “It’s an inexperienced bowling attack, but these boys will learn. Mumbai have a strong batting lineup. So it’s a learning curve. I thought MI batted well. So our bowlers will definitely learn,” Rahane had said in the post-match interaction.
About his own fitness, Rahane – who limped off the field during the second half, which meant Rinku Singh had to step in as the stand-in skipper – said he felt cramp on his both calves. “Feeling okay, but lot of cramps, especially my calves. Hopefully I’ll be okay,” he said. Rahane had made 67 off 40 balls earlier, opening the batting for his side.
Mumbai Indians rode on blistering half-centuries from former skipper Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81) to comfortably beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets, thus breaking the streak of not winning any of their opening games in the last 13 editions of the IPL on Sunday. While they had lost each of their first matches of an IPL edition since beating Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in 2012, five-time winners Mumbai Indians hit full throttle in their chase of 221, replying with 224/4 in 19.1 overs.
(With PTI inputs)
