IPL auction 2026: Green emerges costliest overseas player ever; windfall for Pathirana – The Hindu

December 16, 2025e-Paper
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December 16, 2025e-Paper
Updated – December 16, 2025 10:21 pm IST – Abu Dhabi
Kolkata Knight Riders snapped both Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore and Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore during the IPL mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025 | Photo Credit: PTI
Cameron Green lived up to the billing as he emerged the costliest overseas player in IPL — and the third-highest overall — at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the 2026 season. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) outbid Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to secure the Australian all-rounder for a whopping ₹25.20 crore at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).
IPL 2026 auction Highlights
Armed with the biggest purse, KKR also snapped up Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore while Liam Livingstone made a late splash in the recall round, with Sunrisers Hyderabad spending ₹13 crore on the England all-rounder.
Yet, the auction will be remembered less for the marquee overseas buys and more for a historic windfall for domestic uncapped players.
CSK shattered records by acquiring Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Prashant Veer and 19-year-old Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma — who lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy — for ₹14.20 crore each. The duo jointly became the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history, comfortably eclipsing the previous record of ₹10 crore by pacer Avesh Khan at the 2022 mega auction.
Remarkably, Prashant and Kartik fetched more than 47 times their base price of ₹30 lakh, underlining a clear shift in franchise thinking towards backing domestic talent. That trend was further reinforced when Delhi Capitals secured Jammu & Kashmir swing bowler Auqib Nabi for ₹8.40 crore while Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) signed Madhya Pradesh left-arm pace-bowling all-rounder Mangesh Yadav for ₹5.20 crore.
All four uncapped Indians featured among the top 15 buys of the auction, prompting CSK head coach Stephen Fleming to remark that “the T20 babies are coming to the fore”.
Among established Indian names, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi — two of the most high-profile releases ahead of the auction — also commanded healthy prices. Rajasthan Royals brought in Bishnoi as its lead spinner for ₹7.20 crore while RCB finally landed Venkatesh Iyer after being outbid by KKR last season, holding firm until KKR withdrew at ₹7 crore.
In total, all the 77 players were signed at the auction as franchises spent ₹215.45 crore combined. Unsurprisingly, KKR emerged as the biggest spender, having entered the auction with a purse more than ₹20 crore higher than its nearest rivals.
CSK added nine players to its roster, including experienced batter Sarfaraz Khan.
Published – December 16, 2025 10:19 pm IST
IPL / Indian Premier League
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