On December 16 in Abu Dhabi this year, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is anticipated to be at the focus of a significant bidding war. Only a few weeks remain until the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction, which has consistently generated record-breaking payouts despite being referred to as a little event.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the two teams with the largest remaining purses, INR 43.4 crore and INR 64.3 crore, respectively, are expected to bid fiercely for Green, who is predicted to be the most expensive purchase of the auction.
Shortly after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) acquired Pat Cummins for INR 20.5 crore in 2023, Mitchell Starc became the first player to surpass the INR 20-crore threshold when KKR acquired him for INR 24.75 crore, setting an all-time IPL auction record. Sam Curran’s INR 18.5 crore contract with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the previous mini-auction was eclipsed by those enormous transactions.
Green was purchased by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 17.5 crore, making him the second most expensive player at the 2023 auction. He was traded by MI to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the same sum a year later. Green has played in 29 IPL games throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons, hitting 707 runs at a strike rate of 153.70.
Green has set a maximum base price of INR 2 crore for this year’s auction.
However, the total amount paid to him cannot be more than INR 18 crore, even if he draws bids exceeding INR 20 crore once again. This is because the IPL implemented the “maximum fee rule” last year in response to franchises’ complaints that some foreign players were taking advantage of the increased demand during mini-auctions.
The maximum retention slab utilised prior to the 2025 mega auction is INR 18 crore, which is the maximum amount that foreign players can be paid under the law. Any money left over after bidding exceeds INR 18 crore would be used by the BCCI to fund player welfare programs rather than being distributed to the player.
Despite the cap on his official salary, all eyes will be on how high the bidding rises for Green given the enormous rewards in play and the tremendous need for a competent all-rounder.
“The highest retention price [of INR 18 crore] and the highest auction price in the major auction will be more than the auction fee paid by any foreign player at a small auction. The cap will be INR 18 crore if the highest auction price in the major auction is INR 20 crore. According to an IPL note cited by ESPNcricinfo, “The cap will be INR 16 crore if the highest auction price at a big auction is INR 16 crore.”
According to the rule, a player’s auction will continue as usual until the player is sold, at which point the winning bid will be subtracted from the franchise’s auction revenue.
“The BCCI will receive the additional sum above INR 16 or 18 crore, depending on the situation. The note stated that the additional funds deposited with BCCI would be used for the players’ well-being.
Indian players will get the entire bid sum, which will be subtracted from the franchise’s auction purse, and are exempt from the maximum-fee restriction. There are 77 places available at the auction, 31 of which are set aside for players from other countries. 16 Indian players with caps are on the longlist; these will be finalised after teams submit their confirmed wishlists to the IPL by December 5.
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