Australian all-rounder Cameron Green emerged as the biggest earner at the IPL 2026 mini-auction, held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, after three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured his services for a headline-grabbing Rs 25.20 crore. Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) also made a notable move, signing India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore.
Despite the record-breaking bid, Green will not receive the full amount. Under the IPL’s recently introduced “maximum fee” regulation, an overseas player’s take-home pay is capped at Rs 18 crore. The remaining amount from any bid exceeding that limit is redirected by the BCCI towards player welfare initiatives.
The rule, communicated to franchises last year, states: “Any overseas player’s auction fee at a small auction will be lower than the highest retention price of Rs 18 crore and the highest auction price at the big auction. In case the highest auction price at the big auction is Rs 20 crore, then Rs 18 crore will be the cap. If the highest auction price at a big auction is Rs 16 crore, then the cap will be Rs 16 crore.”
Green’s bid eclipsed the previous auction record set by his Australia teammate Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for Rs 24.75 crore at the IPL 2024 auction. Interestingly, Green entered the auction pool as a batter due to a registration error by his management, a technicality that did not deter franchises from engaging in a fierce bidding war.
The Australian made his IPL debut in 2023 after being picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 17.5 crore, a deal that made him the most expensive Australian player and the second-costliest overseas recruit at the time. Ahead of the 2024 season, he was traded to RCB, where he featured in 13 matches, scoring 255 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 143.25 and claiming 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.61.
“I’m so excited to be part of Kolkata for this year’s IPL to get down to the Eden Gardens, get used to that atmosphere, and hope it’s a great year for us. So see you soon,” Green said in a video shared by the franchise across social media.
KKR continued their spending spree by signing Sri Lankan speedster Matheesha Pathirana, making him the most expensive player from Sri Lanka in IPL history. The franchise also added New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Finn Allen for Rs 2 crore.
Elsewhere, inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals strengthened their squad following a disappointing 2025 campaign by acquiring leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for Rs 7.20 crore.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snapped up South African all-rounder Anrich Nortje and Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga for Rs 2 crore each, both viewed as value buys. At the same price, RCB brought in New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed West Indies spinner Akeal Hossain after narrowly losing out to Rajasthan Royals in the bidding for Bishnoi.
Delhi Capitals secured England opener Ben Duckett and South African veteran David Miller for Rs 2 crore each. Quinton de Kock returned to five-time champions Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 1 crore.
Among uncapped Indian players, 20-year-old Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer commanded a massive Rs 14.20 crore from CSK. Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar was picked up by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.4 crore, while Mukul Choudhary joined LSG for Rs 2.60 crore. Another uncapped prospect, Tejasvi Singh, sparked a bidding duel between KKR and Rajasthan Royals before KKR clinched him for Rs 3 crore. Naman Tiwari was bought by LSG for Rs 1 crore.
However, several high-profile names went unsold, including India’s Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, New Zealand opener Devon Conway, formerly with CSK, and Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, previously with Delhi Capitals. England’s Gus Atkinson, India’s Deepak Hooda, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder failed to attract bids. India pacer Akash Deep, a consistent performer in red-ball cricket, also went unsold.
Overall, 1,390 players registered for the auction, with 350 shortlisted, comprising 240 Indians and 110 overseas players. The pool included 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players, underlining the depth and emerging talent available in the IPL ecosystem ahead of the 2026 season.