Cameron Green is expected to bowl during the IPL 2026 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday, April 9. Green hasn’t bowled in the tournament so far, with the Kolkata Knight Riders struggling to win matches. He was not available for bowling against the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad and played as a batter.
Green was bought for INR 25.2 crore, but he has failed to justify his price tag, failing to get going with the bat. Cricket Australia confirmed that the star all-rounder is carrying a lower-back injury, which has prevented him from bowling. According to ESPNCricinfo, he has recovered from his fitness concern and is likely to return as a bowler as well.
“Cameron has a lower-back injury, which is being managed, but requires him to abstain from bowling for a short period,” Cricket Australia stated on March 30. “He is currently rebuilding his bowling loads in India with a view to returning in around 10-12 days.”
Cameron has started bowling in the nets, and his comeback with the ball is not far away. His unavailability as an all-rounder has impacted the Knight Riders, as Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have already been ruled out for the entire season. On the other hand, Matheesha Pathirana is recovering from his injury, leaving KKR short of quality bowlers.
Green has scored just 24 runs from three matches at an average of eight. The right-handed batter has failed to make an impact. Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch said that Green is under pressure and not showing his aggressive approach.
“He is not playing the way he used to in the past. When he opened for the Mumbai Indians, he was dominating the bowlers and imposing himself in the middle. He is looking tentative for KKR. Don’t demote him in the batting order. Promote him or give him a rest,” Finch said.
Green’s return to bowling will boost KKR’s confidence as Varun Chakravarthy is out for some time. Sunil Narine will compete against the LSG. KKR will be hoping to get the best out of Green and Narine to win their first match of the season.
