Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping Rs 25.20 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, underway at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi today. With this, he became the most expensive foreign player in the history of the tournament.
As the bidding crossed the Rs 25 crore mark, Green went past the previous record held by his Australia teammate Mitchell Starc, who was bought by KKR for Rs 24.75 crore at the IPL 2024 auction.
Overall, Green became the third costliest player in IPL auction history, behind Rishabh Pant, who was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, and Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, who fetched Rs 26.75 crore at the same auction.
Green entered the auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore and sparked a bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. The Royals backed out once the bid reached Rs 13 crore, after which five-time champions Chennai Super Kings joined the contest.
KKR and CSK entered the auction with the biggest purses, with the three-time champions holding Rs 64.30 crore, while the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK had Rs 43.40 crore. After intense bidding and deliberations among both teams’ think tanks, Green became the first player of the evening to cross the Rs 20 crore mark, before KKR eventually sealed the deal at Rs 25.20 crore.
As per the new IPL rules, overseas players cannot earn more than Rs 18 crore. As a result, Green will receive Rs 18 crore, while the remaining Rs 7.20 crore will be allocated towards player welfare.
Green last featured in the IPL in 2024, when he represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He scored 255 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 143.25 and picked up 10 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 8.61. He has also previously played for Mumbai Indians before being traded.
-IANS
