IPL: To bowl or not to bowl, Green remains a conundrum for the Knights

The overriding question as Kolkata Knight Riders look to register their first point in IPL 2026 against Sunrisers Hyderabad tomorrow, 2 April is: when will Cameron Green turn his arm over? The workload issue has proved a concern, with KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane not mincing his words about the Australian allrounder — the most expensive overseas IPL buy — being unable to support an inexperienced bowling line-up.

‘’You will have to ask Cricket Australia about it,’’ Rahane said on Sunday after Mumbai Indians toyed with a KKR attack left depleted by injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, and the uncertainty over the arrival of Sri Lankan sling-arm bowler Matheesa Pathirana. However, a KKR social media post on Wednesday evening may bring a sense of relief as it shows the Australian resuming bowling at the nets.

It’s difficult to say whether a miscommunication led to the conundrum as KKR famously shelled out a whopping Rs 25.20 crore at the IPL mini-auction, making Green the most expensive overseas purchase in IPL history.

Interestingly, it’s not only the Knights who are feeling shortchanged, given the unavailability of the ‘Big Three’ of Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood has put paid to the planning for the season for three teams — Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Speaking on the eve of the match at Eden Gardens, KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar tried to diffuse the situation. ‘’When we bid for a player at the auction, we look for a best-case scenario as we all know what he can bring to the table. However, it’s unfortunate that he cannot bowl at this point,’’ he said. The fact that Green was seen bowling at the nets means there could well be an update from Cricket Australia vis-a-vis his workload.

SRH head coach Daniel Vettori, meanwhile, acknowledged missing Cummins’ twin-role as premier bowler and captain. ‘’He’s is obviously a loss, be it in bowling or his conversation with the group,’’ Vettori said as stand-in captain Ishan Kishan looked somewhat out of sorts under pressure against the RCB batters on rampage.

This fixture marks the start of a crucial home stretch for three-time IPL champions KKR, who will play three matches in seven days and another on 19 April before the Kolkata leg pauses for nearly a month due to the upcoming Assembly polls. With four away games to follow and their next home fixture scheduled only on 16 May, KKR know it is imperative to build momentum in this phase.

Historically, Eden Gardens has been a stronghold for KKR, with them winning 54 out of 95 matches since 2008.