It was the Rs 25.20 crore question that echoed through the Wankhede Stadium as Mumbai Indians (MI) chased down 221 with ease. Despite the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowlers being taken to the cleaners by Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, their marquee all-rounder, Cameron Green, did not bowl a single over.
Post-match, a visible irked KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane finally spilled the beans, suggesting that the decision was taken out of the franchise’s hands.
‘Ask Cricket Australia,’ says Rahane
When asked by the broadcasters why the towering Australian wasn’t utilised to break MI’s 148-run opening stand, Rahane gave a sharp, one-sentence reply that shifted the blame to the player’s national board.
“That question you need to ask Cricket Australia,” Rahane said during the post-match presentation.
The comment confirms that Green, who is KKR’s most expensive signing in history, is currently playing under a strict bowling restriction from Cricket Australia (CA). While Green appeared fully fit while scoring a brisk 18 off 10 balls and fielding on the boundary, he is reportedly being managed following a recent workload protocol or minor back concern.
A tactical void in the middle overs
Rahane admitted that the inability to use Green’s medium pace hurt the team’s balance on a Wankhede pitch that was offering bounce to the taller bowlers.
“Hopefully, Green starts to bowl soon and the combination will be slightly different,” Rahane noted. “It was really tough for our bowlers tonight. It’s an inexperienced attack, but these boys will learn. Finding that balance with the ball is really important for us.”
Shardul Thakur delivers Player of the Match performance
In contrast, MI’s Shardul Thakur (3/39) showed exactly what a seam-bowling all-rounder can do on this surface, picking up the wickets of both Rahane and Green to stall KKR’s momentum. He eventually bagged the Player of the Match award in a match dominated by batters.
Rahane’s updates on cramps
To add to KKR’s woes, Rahane himself had to leave the field in the fourth over of MI’s chase after suffering from severe cramps. Vice-captain Rinku Singh took over the reins for the remainder of the match.
“I’m feeling okay now, but I had a lot of cramps, especially in my calves. The Mumbai humidity really got to me. Hopefully, I’ll be fine for the next game,” Rahane said.
Despite the loss, Rahane entered the history books tonight by scoring 67 off 40 balls, the highest score by a KKR captain against Mumbai Indians in IPL history.
When will Green be allowed to bowl
As KKR heads back to the drawing board, the focus remains on when the Cricket Australia allow Green to bowl his quota of 4 overs.