Australia all-rounder Cameron Green made headlines on Tuesday after being roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a record sum of Rs. 25.20 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, underway at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Due to a mistake by his manager during the player auction registration, Green was registered as a batter. However, he clarified later that he’d be available to bowl as well at the tournament.
By marking his availability as an all-rounder, he surpassed the previous record held by his Australia teammate Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for Rs 24.75 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.
Cameron made his IPL debut in the 2023 season after the Mumbai Indians (MI) bought him for Rs 17.5 crore. Notably, at the time, he became the second-most-expensive overseas player in IPL auction history, the third-most expensive player ever, and the most expensive Australian player.
“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.
Green registered at a base price of Rs. 2 crore and triggered a bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals as soon as his name came up.
The Royals withdrew when bids reached Rs. 13 crore. At that moment, Chennai Super Kings, five-time champions, joined the bidding war, increasing the competition. KKR and CSK entered the auction, with the largest funds, Rs. 64.30 crore and Rs. 43.40 crore, respectively. It was eventually the three-time champions who emerged on top in the battle as they bagged the Aussie’s services.
