The IPL 2026 Auction takes place tomorrow and all eyes will be on Cameron Green. The Australian all-rounder is expected to be the most expensive player in the auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Green had missed the IPL last year due to injury but is now fit and firing also being able to bowl.
With Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings alone boasting a combined budget of ₹100 crore, Green is expected to bag the big bucks. The 26-year-old would present a long-term acquisition and is a naturally versatile T20 all-rounder.
The highest paid player in an IPL auction is Lucknow Super Giants' acquisition of Rishabh Pant last year for ₹27 crore. The highest paid overseas star was Mitchell Starc, with KKR splurging ₹24.75 crore ahead of the 2024 season.
Even if Green's bid goes northwards of ₹25 crore, his salary for the season would still be ₹18 crore. The bid amount and players' salary would be mutually exclusive with the former being deducted from team's annual player purse.
The reason being IPL's "maximum-fee" rule which states that a foreign player's maximum fee at a mini auction will be the lower value between the highest retention slab (₹18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (₹27 crore for Rishabh Pant in 2025).
In this case, assuming Green is sold for ₹28 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders, he would bag only ₹18 crore from his contract with KKR. The ₹10 crore surplus will be deposited with the BCCI, which the Indian board will utilise for overall player welfare. KKR however will lose ₹28 crore from their overall purse.
