KKR break bank, grab Cameron Green at Rs 25.20 crores in IPL auction

Cameron Green made heads turn, literally, at the mini IPL auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Australian all-rounder was being wooed by three teams. What mattered was who had more bucks in their kitty. Sure enough, in less than 15 minutes, it was a done-deal for Green as he grabbed eyeballs with the kind of crazy bidding the IPL has become famous for. Welcome to Kolkata Knight Riders, Green, all at a price of Rs 25.20 crores.

What kind of adjective does one use for a sum like this for an overseas player, who has now put in shade the previous auction highs which had been created for another Aussie, Mitch Starc. It is well-known, the demand for quality all-rounders is very high in the IPL. More than the specialists, it is the bits and pieces guy who can do everything – bat, bowl and field, which matters. Green fits the bill, as the 26-year-old was in great demand.

In what looked like a war between KKR, CSK and even Rajasthan Royals, the Kolkata outfit went flat out. This was a bit reminiscent of what one witnessed last year in the major IPL auction when Rishabh Pant was grabbed by Lucknow Super Giants and Shreyas Iyer went to Punjab Kings at mind-boggling sums.

More than cricket fans in India watching the bidding for Cameron Green, folks from Australia and England were watching this price war for a bloke who is not the biggest player from Down Under. Heck, who cares, the IPL is about identifying the right guy. That, necessarily, does not have to be someone who is always grabbing headlines. For the sake of KKR’s own rebuilding process, putting so much money on one guy may look odd.

But then, the IPL big bucks chasing players is now part of deals which happen so often. The currency exchange calculators were in use as the value of Green was being calculated -- $.277 million, or Pound Sterling 2.09 million. Of course, despite the price he went for, there is a salary cap which has been put by the BCCI on overseas players. Green will get only Rs 18 crores from the auction, and the rest of the money goes to the BCCI fund.

A bit about Green, who saw faces turn red when they were watching the bidding war. There was method in madness, as KKR wanted him, what with Andre Russel now having said goodbye, at the age of 37. However, Russel will still be with the KKR in a new role with the coaching stuff.

Surely, even though the auction strategy is all about team owners wanting to flaunt money they have, inputs are received from the think-tank as well. Not everything is made public and discussions are held before as well with the captain as well, Ajinkya Rahane.

For those who are still trying to figure out if Cameron Green deserves this much, it is very subjective. Aussies love the IPL and go all out. KKR is a side with a great ethos and also did win the title in the 2024 IPL season. Green has been around in the IPL for a few seasons, first with Mumbai Indians and then RCB. Surely, there is something special, KKR have gone full tilt to grab Green.