Kolkata Knight Riders set IPL 2026 record by signing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore, making him the most expensive foreign player in league history.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) acquired Cameron Green for an incredible ₹25.20 crore in the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, causing a seismic upheaval in the league’s financial history.
This record-breaking bid solidified the premium that teams place on high-impact, multi-skilled cricket players by instantly placing the Australian all-rounder among the top three most expensive players in IPL history by auction price.
Green has surpassed his countryman Mitchell Starc’s previous record of ₹24.75 crore established in 2024, making him the most expensive foreign player in the tournament’s history.
Also read : CSK Breaks Records, Buys Prashant Veer for ₹14.20 Crore in IPL 2026 Mini-Auction
His take-home compensation is impacted by a crucial restriction, though: Green’s salary is limited to ₹18 crore under the BCCI’s maximum fee rule for mini-auctions, with the remaining ₹7.20 crore going into the BCCI’s Player Welfare Fund.
The winning bid of ₹25.20 crore is the amount that counts for the franchise’s bank sheet and history books, even with the salary cap.
It immediately places Green in an exclusive group that is dominated by elite Indian players and a small number of international match winners:
The top five most costly players in the history of the IPL auction
1. Rishabh Pant (₹27.00 Cr), Event: Mega-Auction 2025, Team: LSG
2. Shreyas Iyer: ₹26.75 Cr, PBKS Team, Mega-Auction 2025
3. Cameron Green: ₹25.20 Cr; Team: KKR; Mini-Auction 2026
4. Mitchell Starc: ₹24.75 Cr, KKR Team, Mini-Auction 2024
5. Venkatesh Iyer: ₹23.75 Cr, Event: Mega-Auction 2025, Team: KKR
For Indian core players like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, whose leadership and batting power commanded remarkable bids in the 2025 mega-auction, this Top 5 list exemplifies the intensifying pricing war.
A world-class pace-bowling all-rounder like Green is still an essential investment for any title-contending team, even though Indian talent fetches the highest price. Green’s entrance at number three pushes Venkatesh Iyer’s ₹23.75 crore estimate out of the top three.