The Indian Premier League's 2026 player auction kicked off with a seismic bang in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, as a fierce bidding war culminated in Australian all-rounder Cameron Green joining the Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering Rs 25.20 crore. This monumental deal etches Green's name in IPL history as the league's third-most expensive player ever and the priciest overseas acquisition.
The High-Stakes Battle for Cameron Green
The opening salvo for Green was fired between the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. The Royals exited the contest once the bid crossed approximately Rs 13 crore. The Chennai Super Kings then entered the fray, aggressively pushing the price beyond the Rs 20 crore mark. In a nail-biting finish, CSK placed a bid of Rs 25 crore, only for KKR to swoop in and secure the marquee player with a final, decisive offer of Rs 25.20 crore.
Wicketkeepers Find New Homes at Base Price
The set featuring wicketkeeper-batters saw a more subdued market, with only three of the five players sold, all at their base prices. In a major homecoming, South African veteran Quinton de Kock returned to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore. De Kock, who recently reversed his white-ball retirement for South Africa, boasts a rich IPL legacy. He has scored 3,309 runs in 115 matches across franchises, including a previous title win with Mumbai Indians.
Delhi Capitals secured England's dynamic left-hander Ben Duckett for his base price of Rs 2 crore. Duckett brings explosive power to the top order, evident in his international T20 strike rate of over 153.
Kolkata Knight Riders added firepower by picking New Zealand's Finn Allen, also for his base price of Rs 2 crore. Allen is renowned for his blistering strike rate, which stands at a phenomenal 163.27 in T20 internationals.
Notable Players Who Went Unsold
The first round concluded with several big names failing to attract bids. England's Jonny Bairstow and Jamie Smith, along with Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz and India's KS Bharat, remained unsold. However, these players remain eligible to be picked during the accelerated auction round later in the process.
The auction's opening day has dramatically reshaped team strategies, with KKR making the loudest statement by securing a world-class all-rounder. As teams continue to build their squads, all eyes will be on which uncapped talents and unsold stars find takers in the subsequent rounds.
