IPL 2026 | Why didn’t Cameron Green bowl for KKR vs GT? Ajinkya Rahane explains

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane explained that all-rounder Cameron Green was unable to bowl during Friday’s defeat to the Gujarat Titans in Indian Premier League 2026 due to cramps, which also forced him to spend time off the field. The 26-year-old, who was bought for a record INR 25.20 crore, played a key role with the bat, scoring 79 off 55 deliveries to guide KKR to a total of 180. Despite anchoring the innings after an early setback, he couldn’t accelerate significantly in the death overs. In the field, he made a brilliant catch to dismiss Shubman Gill, but his limited time on the ground meant he couldn’t contribute with the ball.

His absence was felt late in the innings, as KKR had to rely on Ramandeep Singh for the final over instead of a more experienced option.

After the match, Rahane said Green’s physical discomfort was the sole reason behind his restricted involvement.

“He was actually struggling with cramps, which is why he was in and out of the field. That’s the reason he didn’t bowl," Rahane said after the match.

“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, it was tough."

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The skipper also acknowledged that reaching around 180 after being 147 for four wasn’t easy and credited the bowlers for keeping the contest alive until the final over.

“Cameron Green’s innings was outstanding, he was under pressure, but the way he counterattacked and took on their bowlers was amazing to see. At 147 for 4, getting to around 180 was slightly difficult for us as a batting unit. But credit to our bowlers, the way they bowled and took the game till the last over, everyone contributed really well."

Speaking about the opposition, Rahane commended Gill’s match-winning knock of 86 from 50 balls and pointed out that KKR’s bowlers were slightly short in their lengths, which made scoring easier.

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“I thought he (Gill) batted really well. The lengths we bowled were slightly on the shorter side, and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely when pitched up. There was also a bit of dew. But again, no excuses, 180 was a decent total. We needed wickets in the powerplay, but they batted beautifully. Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill were excellent. The powerplay was crucial, but 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," he added.

With KKR still winless after six matches and stuck on one point, Rahane stressed the importance of staying focused and not overthinking. He said the team needs to trust their approach and play with confidence and aggression rather than worrying about factors beyond their control.

“It’s all about staying in the moment. When things aren’t going your way, you tend to overthink. We just need to focus on the present, go out there, enjoy the game, and back ourselves as a unit instead of worrying about things beyond our control. As a team, we just want to play our game, be aggressive and positive from ball one," Rahane said.