The blame game has truly begun regarding Cameron Green and his inability to bowl in the first few Indian Premier League(IPL) 2026 matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The 26-year-old was picked by the three-time champions in the auction for INR 25.20 crore. The hefty paycheque was handed out in the hope that the Australian would fill the big shoes of Andre Russell. However, the constant presence of injuries has hampered Green’s plans in the T20 tournament, as he will not bowl in the first 10-12 days of the competition.
After the loss against the Mumbai Indians, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane got miffed when asked about Green not bowling, and he shifted the blame onto Cricket Australia, saying one should check with them rather than the franchise.
Cricket Australia are currently tracking the workload of its centrally contracted players ahead of the upcoming busy Test season. This is the main reason Green hasn’t been given clearance to bowl for now. However, former India batter Ambati Rayudu is absolutely livid with this development, saying international boards cannot dictate to franchises after players are picked in the auction.
“Can he play a cover drive or not? Maybe he might just injure his elbow. Maybe he should just flick the ball. It is absolutely absurd. When somebody is coming to compete in a tournament, and you tell him, ‘you can do this, and you can’t do that’, it’s absolute nonsense. It can’t happen in a professional setting,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo ‘TimeOut’.
“I think it should be up to the player. If he is competing as a professional, he should be able to do whatever he is capable of doing. The player is the best judge,” he added.
‘Never liked it’
Rayudu then further stressed his point with an analogy: if his mother doesn’t approve of something, it doesn’t mean she gets to sign the contract on his behalf.
“My mom always wanted me to wear a helmet, but I never liked it. Does not mean that my mom signs a contract and sends me out saying that, ‘he can’t play, my son might get injured’,” said Rayudu.
Speaking of Green, ever since undergoing a lower back surgery, he has rarely bowled. He didn’t bowl in the WTC final against South Africa and delivered just 62 overs in the five-match Ashes.
On Monday, Cricket Australia issued a statement, saying KKR were informed well in advance of the restrictions pertaining to Green and that he would start bowling in the next 10-12 days.
Speaking of KKR’s opening IPL 2026 match, the three-time champions lost against the Mumbai Indians after the latter chased down the target of 221 with six wickets in hand and five balls to spare.
