Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Cameron Green delivered a fiery opening spell to put the Mumbai Indians under massive pressure during the crucial IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The Australian pacer struck twice in the same over, removing Ryan Rickelton and Naman Dhir to hand KKR complete control in the early stages of the contest.
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, KKR needed a strong start after captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl first. Cameron Green responded brilliantly by dismantling the Mumbai Indians’ top order inside the powerplay.
The breakthrough came in the third over when Green bowled a sharp, hard-length delivery angled into Ryan Rickelton. The MI opener attempted an ambitious pick-up shot over square leg but mistimed it badly. The ball ballooned high into the Kolkata sky before Manish Pandey completed a safe diving catch at cover-point. Rickelton departed for just six runs.
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Green struck again, only three balls later, to send back Naman Dhir for a three-ball duck. Bowling a fuller delivery outside off stump, the KKR all-rounder forced Dhir into uncertainty as the batter looked caught between defending and leaving the ball. A faint outside edge carried comfortably to wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Although the on-field umpire initially turned down the appeal, Ajinkya Rahane immediately signalled for DRS. UltraEdge confirmed a clear nick, and the Mumbai Indians found themselves in serious trouble early in the innings.
Two towering chances, two perfect grabs 😯
🎥 Manish Pandey and Cameron Green ice-cold in pressure moments 👏👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Aw11jLoww5#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #KKRvMI | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/BB391Y3l88
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2026
Cameron Green has quietly emerged as one of KKR’s most effective bowling options this season. Despite bowling limited overs in IPL 2026, the Australian has consistently delivered breakthroughs at crucial moments and continued that impressive form against MI.
KKR’s dominance did not stop there. Young pacer Saurabh Dubey also produced a big moment by dismissing Rohit Sharma for 15 off 13 deliveries, reducing Mumbai Indians to 23/3 inside the powerplay.
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At the time of writing, MI were struggling at 34/3 after five overs, with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav attempting to rebuild the innings. With playoff qualification still mathematically possible, KKR know every over and every wicket could define their IPL 2026 campaign.
