IPL 2026 auction was one of the most dramatic and high-value auctions in IPL history. The franchises approached with clear game plans, fat purses and big bucks they were willing to pay for established match winners and fledgling talent. At the centre of news was Cameron Green, as he got crowned with the title of being Most Expensive Player of IPL 2026, breaking several auction records for good.
Cameron Green Becomes the Most Expensive Player IPL 2026
KKR snapped up Australian all-rounder Cameron Green at a whopping ₹25.20 crore; becoming:
- The most expensive overseas player in IPL history
- The third-most expensive player ever in IPL auctions
- The Most Expensive Player IPL 2026
Green’s bidding went on for more than ten minutes and there were heated contests between franchises like CSK and RR before KKR won the bid. Add to that his ability to bat and bowl as well as his prior IPL performances, he was the most wanted name in the auction.
As per the IPL rules, overseas players have a salary cap and thus Green will draw only ₹18 crore from their franchise and rest goes into the league’s player welfare pool.
Matheesha Pathirana & Other Big Buys
KKR was not done after Cameron Green. They also bought Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore, who became the second most expensive player of the IPL 2026 auction. Pathirana, famous for his lethal yorkers and death-overs prowess, emerged as a hot property having being released before the auction.
The another big talking point was the emergence of uncapped Indias. At the IPL auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) surprised everyone when they spent ₹14.20 crore each on Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma shattering a record for non-international players in an Indian Premier League auction.
Most Expensive Player IPL 2026 – Full Auction Table
| No. | Player Name | Team | Role | Base Price (₹ Cr) | IPL 2026 Auction Value |
| 1 | Cameron Green | KKR | Batter | 2 | 25.2 |
| 2 | Matheesha Pathirana | KKR | Bowler | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | Kartik Sharma | CSK | Batter | 0.3 | 14.2 |
| 4 | Prashant Veer | CSK | All-rounder | 0.3 | 14.2 |
| 5 | Liam Livingstone | SRH | All-rounder | 2 | 13 |
| 6 | Mustafizur Rahman | KKR | Bowler | 2 | 9.2 |
| 7 | Josh Inglis | LSG | Batter | 2 | 8.6 |
| 8 | Auqib Nabi | DC | All-rounder | 0.3 | 8.4 |
| 9 | Ravi Bishnoi | RR | Bowler | 2 | 7.2 |
| 10 | Jason Holder | GT | All-rounder | 2 | 7 |
| 11 | Venkatesh Iyer | RCB | All-rounder | 2 | 7 |
| 12 | Rahul Chahar | CSK | Bowler | 1 | 5.2 |
| 13 | Mangesh Yadav | RCB | All-rounder | 0.3 | 5.2 |
| 14 | Ben Dwarshuis | PBKS | All-rounder | 1 | 4.4 |
| 15 | Pathum Nissanka | DC | Batter | 0.75 | 4 |
| 16 | Tejasvi Dahiya | KKR | Batter | 0.3 | 3 |
| 17 | Jack Edwards | SRH | All-rounder | 0.5 | 3 |
| 18 | Cooper Connolly | PBKS | All-rounder | 2 | 3 |
| 19 | Mukul Choudhary | LSG | Batter | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| 20 | Adam Milne | RR | Bowler | 2 | 2.4 |
Why Cameron Green Was Worth the Price
Cameron Green is worth more than numbers. He offers:
- A powerful middle-order batting option
- Seam in power plays and middle overs
- Exceptional fielding
- Big-match temperament
KKR’s management saw him as a long-term investment who could take the franchise forward for several seasons.
IPL 2026 Auction Trends
Some of the trends that were visible from the auction for IPL 2026:
- Nobody did it better than Baroda Teams paid through the nose for all-rounders
- Record bids were made for uncapped Indian players
- Franchises prioritized versatility above the name on the door
- Foreign pace bowlers were still very valuable
Conclusion
Redefining the job, To be fair it was actually both Although the phrase of world’s Most Expensive Player, IPL 2026 is meant for Cameron Green and his ₹25.2 crore bid that will probably go down in the history books. Together with Green, it was the dawn of young Indian talent and building teams strategically but IPL 2026 became a watershed auction. With the season fast approaching, the focus now will be whether or not these investments pay off on the field.