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KKR are searching desperately for their first win of IPL 2026 and the good news arriving from their camp ahead of Monday's clash against Punjab Kings is about the player who has been at the centre of their most talked-about controversy.
Cameron Green, the INR 25.20 crore acquisition who has not bowled a single over in either of KKR's opening two defeats, has been the biggest talking point around the franchise since the tournament began.
Now KKR bowling coach Tim Southee has finally broken his silence on the situation and the update is more encouraging than many had expected.
What bowling coach Tim Southee said about Cameron Green ahead of KKR vs PBKS game
Southee was measured but optimistic when asked about Green's return ahead of the PBKS game. "Green's been bowling well, tracking his rehab and getting himself back to being able to bowl in games. He'll continue to do that," he said.
He also confirmed that KKR remain in regular contact with Cricket Australia about Green's workload management, the same CA oversight that triggered Ajinkya Rahane's now-famous "ask Cricket Australia" quip at the post-match presentation after the MI game. "We're in regular contact with Cricket Australia and I'm sure we'll see Cameron bowling soon. I'm sure he's not far away from bowling in a match," Southee added.
The message was clear and it was the most positive update KKR fans have had on this situation since the tournament began.
KKR's bowling crisis in context with Cameron Green
Green's inability to bowl has been one part of a much broader bowling problem for KKR in the early stages of this season.
Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are both injured, Matheesha Pathirana is yet to receive his NOC from Sri Lanka Cricket, and Mustafizur Rahman was released before the tournament following geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh.
The result is an inexperienced pace attack that has conceded over 450 runs across two games and failed to take early wickets in the powerplay in either match, the very thing Southee identified as the most critical issue. "It's always hard when you're not taking wickets, particularly in the powerplay. Taking wickets early stems the run flow and makes things easier. We haven't quite managed to do that so far," he said honestly.
Blessing Muzarabani has impressed with four wickets against SRH, Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi have shown promise in patches, but the spin duo of Narine and Chakravarthy are yet to find their best form and the whole attack lacks the experience to consistently execute under pressure.
IPL 2026: The bigger picture for KKR
Southee was at pains to point out that two games into a long tournament is not the time to panic, and he has a point. "With the setbacks with the bowlers we've been unable to have, it presents opportunities for other guys. We're still excited about the bowling group we've got. They're inexperienced but they've got a tremendous amount of skill," he said.
The selection has also come under scrutiny with players like Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra and Rovman Powell yet to feature, but Southee defended the process saying the team always picks the combination that best matches the opposition and conditions.
KKR need a win on Monday against Punjab Kings and they need one badly, not just for the points but for the belief of a squad that has started the season with back-to-back defeats and is under genuine pressure to turn things around before the campaign slips away from them entirely.
