Cameron Green Becomes Most Expensive Overseas Player at IPL 2026 Auction

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green created history at the IPL 2026 auction, emerging as the most expensive overseas player ever after being acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering ₹25.20 crore at the Etihad Arena on Tuesday.

Although Green went for a record sum, his contract value will be capped at ₹18 crore under the new IPL auction rules, with the excess amount being diverted to the BCCI welfare fund.

Auction Purse and New Rules

All 10 IPL franchises collectively spent ₹237.55 crore at the auction. The minimum base price for players was fixed at ₹30 lakh, while the maximum base price stood at ₹2 crore.

Green surpassed the previous record held by Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for ₹24.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2024 season. Despite the capped salary rule, Green’s bidding marked one of the biggest moments of the auction.

Uncapped Indian Players Steal the Spotlight

The evening also belonged to uncapped Indian players, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) making headlines by securing Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore each, making them the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history.

Prashant Veer broke the previous record held by Avesh Khan, who was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹10 crore ahead of IPL 2023. Kartik Sharma soon matched Prashant’s price, further underlining CSK’s aggressive auction strategy.

KKR Complete Squad Early

Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders entered the auction with the largest purse of ₹64.30 crore and just 12 players in their squad. Despite this, KKR became the first franchise to complete their full squad of 25 players.

Apart from Cameron Green, KKR also snapped up Sri Lankan pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore, adding significant firepower to their bowling unit.

Team Budgets and Squad Composition

For IPL 2026, each franchise was allotted a total budget of ₹125 crore to assemble a squad of 18 to 25 players, with a maximum of eight overseas players allowed. Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, despite strong buying, did not complete their overseas quota, finishing with seven overseas players each.

Overall, the franchises filled 77 slots from a pool of 369 registered players.

Notable Buys and Previous Records

Mumbai Indians, who entered the auction with just ₹2.75 crore, managed a smart acquisition by signing experienced wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for ₹1 crore.

At the IPL 2025 auction, Rishabh Pant had become the most expensive player in IPL history after being signed by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore.

IPL 2026: Most Expensive Players

• Most expensive player: Cameron Green – ₹25.20 crore

• Most expensive overseas player: Cameron Green – ₹25.20 crore

• Most expensive Indian player: Prashant Veer / Kartik Sharma – ₹14.20 crore

• Most expensive uncapped player: Prashant Veer / Kartik Sharma – ₹14.20 crore