IPL 2026 auction LIVE: KKR buys Cameron Green for whopping ₹25.2 crore, outbidding CSK; Venkatesh Iyer goes to RCB

The IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi witnessed some intense bidding wars and surprising outcomes as teams vied to bolster their squads.

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green emerged as the most expensive overseas player in the tournament's history, going to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering ₹25.2 crore after KKR outbid Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Despite being listed as a batter initially due to what Green called a managerial error, it was his all-round ability – powerful hitting and 140 km/h pace bowling – that prompted KKR's aggressive pursuit.

Green, who played for Mumbai Indians in 2023 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2024, missed the 2025 season due to a back injury. He has since recovered and is cleared to bowl, returning to the Australian side as a specialist batter in June.

Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer was acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for ₹7 crore. An initial bidding contest involved Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans before RCB and KKR entered the fray. KKR eventually bowed out, leaving RCB to secure Iyer's services.

In other auction news, Wanindu Hazaranga went to Lucknow Super Giants at his base price of ₹2 crore. David Miller was picked up by Delhi Capitals at his base price of ₹2 crore. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. several players including K.S. Bharat, Deepak Hooda, Liam Livingstone, Mulder, Rachin Ravindra, Gus Atkinson, Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw, and McGurk went unsold.

Prior to the auction, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara predicted that leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi could be the most expensive Indian player, citing the high demand for quality spinners. Bishnoi, with a base price of ₹2 crore, has a solid IPL record of 72 wickets in 77 matches and was retained for ₹11 crore at the IPL 2025 auction by Lucknow Super Giants.

Irfan Pathan highlighted Matheesha Pathirana, Gerald Coetzee, and Ashok Sharma as fast bowlers who could attract strong bids, noting Pathirana's skill, Coetzee's all-round ability, and Sharma's pace and accuracy.

Several trades also occurred before the auction, including a significant swap between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, with Sanju Samson going to CSK for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Mohammed Shami moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants in an all-cash deal.

The IPL 2026 auction features a total of 350 players, including 240 Indian and 110 overseas cricketers, vying for 77 available slots across the 10 teams. The tournament is scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 31.

Delhi Capitals CEO Sunil Gupta said the franchise retained a solid group of players from last season and traded with Rajasthan Royals to bring in Nitish Rana in exchange for Donovan Ferreira.

Earlier, Cameron Green clarified that he is available to bowl in the IPL, attributing his initial listing as only a batter to an error by his manager.