Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane found himself back in familiar territory after another puzzling decision regarding Cameron Green’s role in the 2026 Indian Premier League. In the early phase of the campaign, Rahane had pointed toward Cricket Australia over Green not being used enough as a bowler. But just a couple of matches later—after Green finally got an opportunity to bowl—he was left out of the attack once again in Friday’s encounter against the Gujarat Titans, prompting further questions from observers.
When Rahane was asked why the franchise was not leaning on their Rs 25.20 crore signing as a frontline bowler, he no longer had Cricket Australia to blame. The discussion quickly shifted from external responsibility to internal planning, and the scrutiny only intensified as KKR continued to struggle for momentum.
For Rahane, it was yet another frustrating outing as KKR suffered their fifth loss in six games. Even in the defeat, the senior batter tried to keep the focus on the positives—most notably Green’s return to form. After a run of disappointing contributions, the all-rounder delivered a meaningful innings, though it still could not stop KKR from going down.
KKR’s campaign has not yet produced the breakthrough they need, with the team rooted at the bottom of the standings on one point. That tally came from a rain-affected match against Punjab Kings that was abandoned, leaving them with a rare point rather than the full haul they would have wanted.
Rahane acknowledged the difficulty of speaking right after another loss but insisted the team would rather look ahead than dwell on the setback. “It’s never easy to come out and talk immediately after losing a game, but I’d like to focus on the positives. The way we started, losing three wickets early, was tough,” Rahane said following KKR’s five-wicket defeat.
With Green finally finding his rhythm, KKR managed to put the Titans under pressure during the middle overs. The all-rounder struck 79 off 55 balls after a period of low returns, giving the batting unit a platform that helped them challenge the opposition’s plans.
Rahane described Green’s innings in glowing terms, saying the pressure situation only made the performance more impressive. “Cameron Green’s innings was outstanding. He was under pressure, but the way he counter-attacked and took on their bowlers was amazing to see. At 147-4, reaching a total of around 180 was a difficult task for us as a batting unit,” he added.
While discussing the defeat, Rahane also offered praise to his bowlers. He said that despite the ongoing losing streak, the group remained energised and continued to push hard—an attitude that was evident in Friday’s match.
On Green’s non-participation in the bowling, Rahane clarified that the choice was tied to the player’s physical condition. He explained that Green was dealing with cramps, which affected his availability and meant he was not consistently in action throughout the game. “I still want to credit our bowlers. It’s not easy when things aren’t going your way, but they kept coming back and pushing hard,” Rahane said.
Rahane further elaborated on Green’s fitness concern: “He was actually struggling with cramps, which is why he was in and out of the field.”
