Australian all-rounder Cameron Green created history at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, becoming the most expensive player ever in IPL history after an intense bidding war that eventually saw Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secure him for Rs 25.20 crore.
The bidding for Green began smoothly but quickly escalated as KKR and Rajasthan Royals (RR) showed early interest, with the price crossing Rs 10 crore in the initial phase. RR stayed in the contest until Rs 13.60 crore, before bowing out when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) entered the fray.
What followed was a dramatic head-to-head battle between CSK and KKR. The bidding crossed Rs 16 crore, then surged past Rs 17 crore, with KKR going to Rs 17.20 crore. At Rs 18 crore, Green became one of the highest-valued players in auction history, but the fight was far from over.
CSK pushed the price to Rs 19 crore, making Green a top-three most expensive player at that point. KKR then stunned the auction room by touching Rs 20 crore, making Green only the third player in IPL history to breach the Rs 20 crore mark, after Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore to KKR in 2024) and Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 crore to SRH in 2024).
The duel intensified further as CSK bid Rs 23 crore, only for KKR to respond with Rs 24 crore, surpassing Starc’s record. The final blow came at Rs 25.20 crore, with KKR sealing the deal and rewriting IPL auction history.
Green, who previously played for Mumbai Indians (2023) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2024), missed the 2025 season due to a lower back injury that required surgery. Fully recovered and cleared to bowl, he entered the auction amid huge anticipation. Across 29 IPL matches, Green has scored 707 runs at an average of 41.59 and a strike rate of 153.70, while also picking up 16 wickets.
Notably, Green had earlier been the fourth-most expensive player in IPL history when Mumbai Indians signed him for Rs 17.5 crore in 2023, a record for an Australian player at the time.
With this Rs 25.20 crore deal, Cameron Green now stands alone as the most expensive player ever bought at an IPL auction, marking a landmark moment in league history and underlining KKR’s intent heading into IPL 2026.
