The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction is just a few weeks away, and despite being labeled a mini event, it has historically produced record-breaking payouts. Australian all-rounder this year cameron green The deal is expected to be at the center of a major bidding war in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
Green is expected to emerge as the most expensive buy in the auction, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the two franchises who have the largest remaining purses, at Rs 64.3 crore and Rs 43.4 crore respectively, likely to compete aggressively for him.
In 2023, Mitchell Starc created an all-time IPL auction record when KKR bought him for Rs 24.75 crore, moments after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bought Pat Cummins for Rs 20.5 crore, making him the first player to cross the Rs 20 crore mark. Those big deals eclipsed the Rs 18.5 crore deal made by Punjab Kings (PBKS) with Sam Curran in the last mini-auction.
Green was the second most expensive player in the 2023 auction when Mumbai Indians (MI) bought him for Rs 17.5 crore. A year later, MI sold him to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the same amount. In two IPL seasons (2023 and 2024), Green has scored 707 runs in 29 matches at a strike rate of 153.70.
For this year's auction, Green has entered at a maximum base price of Rs 2 crore. However, even if he again attracts bids of more than Rs 20 crore, the final fee to be paid cannot exceed Rs 18 crore. This is due to the 'maximum fee rule' introduced by the IPL last year, after franchises expressed concerns that some foreign players were taking advantage of the increased demand during the mini-auction.
Under the rules, overseas players cannot be paid more than Rs 18 crore, which matches the highest retention slab used before the 2025 mega auction. If the bid exceeds Rs 18 crore, any surplus amount will not go to the players, instead, the BCCI will direct that surplus towards player welfare initiatives.
With big money in the game and strong demand for a quality all-rounder, all eyes will be on how high the bid is for Green, despite his official earnings cap.
“The auction fee of any foreign player in the mini auction will be less than the highest retention price [of INR 18 crore] And the highest auction price at a major auction. If the highest auction price in the mega auction is Rs 20 crore, the ceiling will be Rs 18 crore. If the highest auction price in a major auction is Rs 16 crore, the cap will be Rs 16 crore,' an IPL note read as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Under the carry forward rule, the auction of a player will continue as normal until the player is sold, and the final bid amount will be deducted from the franchise's auction purse.
The note reads, “An incremental amount of over Rs 16 or Rs 18 crore, as the case may be, will be deposited with the BCCI. The incremental amount deposited with the BCCI will be utilized for the welfare of the players.”
The maximum fee rule does not apply to Indian players, who will receive the full bid amount, which will be deducted from the franchise's auction purse. A total of 77 slots are available in the auction, of which 31 are reserved for overseas players. In the long list, there are 16 capped Indian players, who will be finalized after the franchises submit their confirmed wish lists to the IPL by December 5.
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