Cameron Green finally got out of the blocks to score his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) half-century for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Gujarat Titans in a losing cause on Friday. While the entire KKR batting line-up collectively failed, Green’s 79 off 55 balls took the three-time champions to 180 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Bought for a surprise ₹25.20 crore, Green did not go down in the first few games due to a minor back problem. He bowled for the first time against Lucknow Super Giants with the wicket of Rishabh Pant in the second delivery he bowled in that edition of the tournament. Since then, Green bowled a total of four overs only to concede 58 runs, showing only Pant’s wicket.
With KKR’s bowling once again looking clueless, the Ajinkya Rahane-led bunch needed bowler Green to defend 181. While he dismissed the opposition skipper Shubman Gill with a sensational catch, the Australian did not come out to bowl, leading to much speculation among fans and pundits.
Rahane cleared all doubts with an update on Green during the post-match press conference. “He was actually fighting his cramps. That’s why he was on and off the field as well. So that’s why he didn’t bowl,” Rahane said when asked why Green didn’t bowl against Gujarat Titans.
Where are KKR going after 5 losses?
Defending 181, the KKR bowlers again failed to live up to expectations as Gujarat Titans raced home with just two balls to spare. It was KKR’s fifth straight loss in six matches as they continue to languish at the bottom of the table with just a point. KKR’s only point came from a washout against Punjab Kings in Kolkata.
When asked where KKR are going after five losses, Rahane was left to answer, saying that they can do nothing but support each other. “I think it’s all about being in the moment, you know. When things don’t go your way, you tend to think about too many things. I feel it’s all about being in the moment. Just try to go out there, enjoy the game,” Rahane said.
“Come back as a whole rather than thinking about things that are out of our control. I think as a team we just have to go out, play our game. And that’s what we wanted to do today. Be aggressive, be positive from the number one ball,” the KKR skipper added.
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