IPL 2026 auction: Most expensive players bought by each of the 10 teams
Abu Dhabi (The Uttam Hindu): Ahead of the exciting IPL 2026 season, a massive amount of money flowed into the players' market (mini auction) held in Abu Dhabi on December 16th. Franchises lavished money not only on foreign stars but also on young and uncapped Indian players. The biggest headline of the auction was Australia's powerful all-rounder Cameron Green, for whom Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opened their coffers. KKR acquired Green for a historic price of ₹25.2 crore (approximately $2.5 million). With this bid, Cameron Green became the most expensive foreign player in IPL history, while also securing third place on the list of most expensive players overall in the league's history.
The fate of a total of 77 players, including 29 foreign players, was decided in this mini auction. The excitement of the auction wasn't limited to the big names, as teams also placed great faith in emerging stars of domestic cricket. Uncapped players like Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer also found success in this auction, catapulting them into the limelight overnight. The strategic way in which teams bid on players makes it clear that the competition in IPL 2026 will be fierce. Green's record-breaking price and the money spent on young players made this auction memorable.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Cameron Green – Rs 25.2 crore
Mathisha Pathirana – 18 crores
Mustafizur Rahman – 9.2 crores
Chennai Super Kings
Kartik Sharma – ₹14.2 crore
Prashant Veer – 14.2 crore
Rahul Chahar – 5.2 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Liam Livingstone – 13 crore
Jack Edwards – Rs 3 crore
Salil Arora – 1.5 crore
Lucknow Super Joints
Josh Inglis – 8.6 crore
Mukul Choudhary – 2.6 crore
Akshat Raghuvanshi – 2.2 crore
Delhi Capitals
Aqib Nabi Dar – 8.4 crore
Pathum Nissanka – 4 crore
Rajasthan Royals
Ravi Bishnoi – 7.2 crores
Adam Milne – 2.4 crore
Ravi Singh – 95 lakh
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venkatesh Iyer – 7 crores
Mangesh Yadav – Rs 5.2 crore
Jacob Duffy – 2 crore
Gujarat Titans
Jason Holder – Rs 7 crore
Tom Banton – 2 crore
Ashok Sharma – 90 lakh
Punjab Kings
Ben Dwarshuis – 4.4 crore
Cooper Connolly – Rs 3 crore
Mumbai Indians
Quinton de Kock – 1 crore