Green Breaks Records as IPL 2026 Auction Concludes
Australia allrounder Cameron Green has been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for INR 25.20 crore ($2.8 million/AUD4.2 million approx.),making him the third-most expensive player sold at an IPL auction and the most expensive overseas player ever.
KKR also secured the second-most expensive player at the auction – Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana for INR 18 crore ($1.97 million approx.).
However, the auction was largely defined by the performances of uncapped Indian players. Twenty-year-old left-arm spin allrounder Prashant Veer and 19-year-old wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma both went to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a staggering INR 14.2 crore each, breaking Avesh Khan’s previous record of INR 10 crore for the most expensive uncapped Indian player bought at an IPL auction. Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi also enjoyed a significant payday, purchased by Delhi Capitals for INR 8.4 crore.
KKR, starting with the largest purse of INR 64.3 crore, faced strong competition for Green from CSK, who had the second-highest purse of INR 43.4 crore. Mumbai Indians (MI) quickly dropped out of the bidding due to limited funds (INR 2.75 crore), while Rajasthan Royals (RR) exited at INR 13.40 crore, leaving KKR and CSK to battle it out.
Green’s bid lasted over ten minutes, placing him behind Rishabh Pant (INR 27 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (INR 26.75 crore) on the list of most expensive IPL players. He surpasses Mitchell Starc (INR 24.75 crore) and Pat Cummins (INR 20.50 crore) as the most expensive overseas player. Green will ultimately receive INR 18 crore due to salary cap regulations.
IPL Auction: Key Buys and Bidding Wars
the IPL auction saw some intense bidding wars, with several players fetching high prices. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) successfully secured Matheesha Pathirana for INR 17.8 crore. KKR outbid Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who had a budget of INR 20.95 crore, offering INR 18 crore for the player.
After missing out on Pathirana, LSG quickly bought South African fast bowler anrich Nortje at his base price of INR 2 crore.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) added New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy to their team for INR 2 crore. He will likely serve as backup for Josh Hazlewood.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) showed interest in legspinner Ravi Bishnoi but stopped bidding when the price reached INR 6 crore. Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) then competed for Bishnoi, with RR ultimately winning the bid at INR 7.2 crore.
Akeal Hosein, the West Indies left-arm spinner, was CSK’s first purchase at the auction, bought at his base price of INR 2 crore. CSK then focused on bidding for uncapped Indian players later in the auction.
“It’s a little bit about discipline. We had identified those players as key to our plans, so we had to be patient,” said CSK coach Stephen Fleming. “It’s hard as you see good players going for low prices, but you have to stick to your plan. In our case, we knew we’d probably need to spend more money later on.”
“But it’s hard; you sit and watch these good players who could come into your side and make a real difference, and when others pick them up you…”