Ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season started, everyone has been asking when Cameron Green will bowl for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Australian all-rounder, who was bought for INR 25.20 crore in the mini auction, will take some more time to start bowling, and this has led to a lot of finger-pointing between the franchise and Cricket Australia. On Sunday, ahead of the fixture against Punjab Kings, KKR bowling coach Tim Southee confirmed that the 26-year-old is working really hard in the nets and he’ll start bowling soon.
After the loss against the Mumbai Indians, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane pinned the blame on Cricket Australia, saying the body needs to be asked why Green isn’t bowling for the franchise. A day later, Cricket Australia shot back, saying the all-rounder is managing a back injury, and the franchise was well aware of the fact.
Green then didn’t bowl in the next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad either. However, he has been building his workload up in the training nets, leading to intense speculation about the pacer’s future plans in the tournament.
“Cameron’s been bowling well, tracking obviously his rehab and giving himself back to being able to bowl in games. He’ll continue to do that. We’re in regular contact with Cricket Australia, and I’m sure we’ll see Cameron bowling soon,” Southee told reporters at the pre-match press conference on Sunday.
“All of a sudden, you can’t bowl in the game. That’s why he has been bowling in the nets; he has been working on getting his match-fitness ready, and that takes time. There is constant touch between us and Cricket Australia. I’m sure it’s not far before he starts bowling,” he added.
Can Green be dropped?
Considering Green hasn’t been bowling, there have been suggestions that KKR bench him and bring in someone like Rovman Powell or Rachin Ravindra into the playing XI. Even the great Sunil Gavaskar advised the franchise to do the same, saying Green can be dropped until and unless he starts bowling.
When asked whether Powell or Ravindra can be seen in the playing XI against PBKS or not, Southee said, “You look at all the squads, there are so many good players that you can choose from. There are discussions around what side you think is best to match up against the opposition and the venue, the ground that you’re playing at. So you look at all the overseas players, also the new talent system on the sideline, there’s so much talent in each of the squads that it’s hard to get the perfect equilibrium.”
“But it’s the side we thought was best for those first two games, and as I said, we’ll plan for what we think we’re going to come up against tomorrow and pick the best team that we think is going to give us the best chance,” he added.
The match between Punjab Kings and KKR will be played at the Eden Gardens on Monday, April 6.
