IPL 2026 auction: Cameron Green headlines at ₹25.20 cr as top 5 costliest players include 2 uncapped stars; full list

Cameron Green headlined the list of costliest players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for the upcoming season in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Coming out of Set-1 at the start of the auction, there were only two teams — Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — that could have afforded Green.

The bid opened with Mumbai Indians raising the paddle, followed by Rajasthan Royals. As Mumbai couldn't go past ₹2.75 crore, KKR entered at ₹2.80 crore. The KKR vs Rajasthan Royals bidding war went till ₹13.60 crore before the 2008 champions backed off.

With no signs of opting out, KKR went for Green aggressively as CSK entered the fray at ₹13.80 crore. With neither team in a mood to back off for the Australian all-rounder, it was the five-time champions who let go of the Aussie. KKR acquired Green's services for ₹25.20 crore.

In the process, Green became the third-most expensive player in history, the costliest this year and the costliest among overseas stars.

Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer steal spotlight

That's not all; KKR went in heavily for Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana by signing the former CSK star for a whopping ₹18 crore. But the twist in the tale was yet to come as Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer became the costliest ever among the uncapped players.

CSK might not have been able to beat KKR for Pathirana and Green, but they ensured that Ruturaj Gaikwad's side gets the best among the uncapped young talents available in the country, by shelling out a whopping ₹14.20 crore each for both Veer and Sharma. Interestingly, both had their base price at ₹30 lakh.

Englishman Liam Livingstone, who went unsold initially, finally found a new home at Sunrisers Hyderabad, who already have the likes of Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Pat Cummins among notable names. It was at the fag end of the day, Livingstone initiated a bidding war between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.

However, it was Sunrisers Hyderabad who had the last laugh during the accelerated round.

List of top five costliest players at IPL 2026 auction