Ajinkya Rahane trapped in a lie? Cricket Australia furious over Cameron Green's statement of not bowling, ruckus on the very second day of IPL 2026!

New Delhi: It seems that IPL 2026 has been embroiled in controversies as soon as it started. Cricket Australia has severely reprimanded Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane after his statement on Cameron Green. The Australian Cricket Board is accusing Rahane of lying through gestures. In fact, there was immense pressure on KKR's bowling attack to stop Mumbai Indians from scoring 221 runs at Wankhede Stadium, yet Cameron Green did not bowl a single over. Kolkata Knight Riders made Green the most expensive player in the history of IPL by bidding Rs 25 crore 20 lakh. In such a situation, not giving bowling to Green raises questions. After the match, when captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about this, he shrugged it off and said that why Green did not bowl, go and ask Cricket Australia. Now Cricket Australia has made a strong comment on the entire controversy.

Told KKR that they will not bowl green – CA
Actually, in view of its busy calendar, Cricket Australia is keeping an eye on the workload management of its centrally contracted players before the Test season. This is the reason why Green has not been allowed to bowl in the IPL at present. Recital Australia on Monday clarified Rahane's statement and said that KKR has already been informed that Green will not bowl in the first 10-12 days of the IPL due to a back injury. A CA spokesperson said:

Cameron has suffered a lower back injury, which is undergoing treatment, but due to this he will have to stay away from bowling for some time. Cameron is currently preparing for his bowling in India so that he can return in about 10-12 days. KKR has been informed about this and they are fully aware of this information.

Green out after scoring 18 runs in 10 balls
Actually, in the mini auction held at the end of last year for IPL 2026, KKR wanted a replacement for Andre Russell. Caribbean all-rounder Russell has been providing explosive batting and wicket-taking medium pace for the team for a long time. Now after his retirement, the three-time champion KKR franchise bet on Green, but despite getting such a huge salary, Green only batted and not bowled. First, he went on after scoring 18 runs in 10 balls and when Mumbai Indians were batting brilliantly in response to the target of 221 runs and were in need of a wicket, then he flatly refused to bowl.

Cameron Green was out cheaply in his first match.

Rahane had said – Ask Cricket Australia
After the match, Rahane expressed hope that Green would start bowling soon and the combination would be slightly different. After this the broadcasters had to ask why Green could not bowl? In response, Rahane said bluntly, 'You should ask this question to Cricket Australia. Rahane's comments have further increased the uncertainty over the future of the 26-year-old Kangaroo player, who was seen bowling with short run-ups during KKR's pre-season preparations. However, he was not facing any problem while batting and fielding.

Mumbai's historic win, biggest run chase
Mumbai Indians have achieved their first win in the tournament after 13 seasons. The victory was not small but the biggest run chase in its IPL history. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have always been a slow starting team in the IPL. The team last won its first match in the IPL in April 2012 in which it defeated Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets. The team won the title five times between 2013 and 2020, but the losing streak continued in the first match.

Rohit Sharma's storm in the very first match
Rohit Sharma, former captain of Team India and who has won the trophy for Mumbai Indians five times, once again proved how much cricket is still left in him. 'Mumbai Chaya Raja' played an explosive inning of 78 runs in just 38 balls. He got excellent support from his opening partner Ryan Rickleton (81 runs). There was a record partnership of 148 runs between the two for the first wicket. But Mumbai's Shardul Thakur was selected as the player of the match. Thakur, playing his first season for Mumbai Indians, spoiled Kolkata's explosive start by giving away just 39 runs and taking out big wickets like Ajinkya Rahane (67), Finn Allen (37) and Cameron Green (18).