IPL 2026 Auction: Cameron Green becomes most expensive overseas player, goes to KKR for Rs 25.2 cr

Green, however, will not get the entire amount. The Australian all-rounder will only get Rs 18 crore, while the other Rs 7.20 crore will go to the BCCI.

Australian allrounder Cameron Green became the most expensive buy in Indian Premier League (IPL) auction history when Kolkata Knight Rider got him at Rs 25.20 crore on Tuesday at Abu Dhabi.

Mumbai Indians started the bid at Rs 2 crore before KKR and Rajasthan Royals engaged in a battle up to Rs 13 crore. However, once RR pulled out, Chennai Super Kings jumped in and fought until Rs 25 crore, before KRR made the winning bid for Rs 25.20 crore.

Green, however, will not get the entire amount of Rs 25.20 crore. The Australian all-rounder will only get Rs 18 crore, while the other Rs 7.20 crore will go to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This is because of the new "maximum fee" rule that the tournament introduced last year to address the collective concern of franchises that some overseas players were registering only for the mini auctions to exploit the supply-demand imbalance.

The IPL governing body set a maximum fee rule where the overseas player cannot be paid more than Rs 18 crore, which was the highest slab for franchises retaining players ahead of the 2025 mega auction.

In case the bid exceeded the Rs 18 crore mark, the additional money, would be utilised by the BCCI for player welfare. In a note to franchises last year, the IPL said, "Any overseas player's auction fee at small auction will be lower than the highest retention price [of INR 18 crore] and the highest auction price at the big auction. In case the highest auction price at the big auction is INR 20 crore, then INR 18 crore will be the cap. If the highest auction price at big auction is INR 16 crore, then the cap will be INR 16 crore."

The previous most expensive overseas buy at an auction was Australian pacer Mitchell Starc at Rs 24.75 crore, while his countryman and current skipper, Pat Cummins, got Rs 20.50 crore. Both came at the 2024 mini-auction.

The most expensive buy ever in IPL auction history is that of Rishabh Pant for Rs 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants in the 2025 mega auction.