IPL 2026 Auction: Aakash Chopra has said that KKR should actually bid for Cameron Green at the IPL 2026 auction and called him an upgraded version of Andre Russell, who has been the team’s most legendary overseas player over the last ten years.
The franchise took the most surprising decision of releasing Russell and brought a partnership to an end that had lasted for about 10 years, during which they had won two titles. Russell, who has been their MVP since 2015 and 2019, was retained for a whopping amount of Rs 12 cr last year. By releasing the franchise, it will have a purse of Rs 64.3 cr at the auction and might buy him back for a lower price.
In an interaction on his YouTube channel, Akash revealed that Green will be KKR’s priority, “I think one must make an edit of Cameron Green in purple and publish it already. KKR needs Cameron Green. They will control the auction now because they have a lot of money. The bowling will not get impacted by Johnson, Nortje, or Russell going away. You have four overs each from Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, and Sunil Narine. Green would also give you three or four overs. They could also buy more overseas bowlers. Maybe Green could come in as an upgraded version of Russell,”.
Russell’s performance has proved KKR’s decision right. After playing in 133 matches, he had scored 2593 runs at an average of 28.81 and a strike rate of 175, which includes 12 fifties and his highest individual score of 88 runs. And he has taken 122 wickets, which also includes a five-for and three 4-ers. His match-winning abilities have helped him become one of the best all-rounders.
Green, however, has built a compelling case of his own. After being bought by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 17.5 crore ahead of the 2023 season, he delivered a standout debut campaign, scoring 452 runs at an average of 50.22 and a strike rate of 160.28, including a century and two fifties, along with six wickets. He moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an all-cash deal ahead of IPL 2024 and played a key role in their dramatic turnaround from one win in eight matches to a place in the playoffs. That season, he contributed 255 runs at 31.38 and a strike rate above 143, and took 10 wickets at 30.30.
In 2025, Green’s T20I form has been outstanding. He has scored 258 runs in eight innings at 43.00 and a strike rate beyond 168, with three half-centuries. Just as importantly for KKR, he has resumed bowling after a brief period of caution, and recently sent down a fiery spell for Western Australia, consistently hitting the 135-140 kmph bracket ahead of the Ashes.
KKR’s overhaul ahead of IPL 2026 has been sweeping. Alongside Russell, the franchise has released Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Spencer Johnson, and Venkatesh Iyer. The decision to release Iyer, while significant, aligns with his recent form and the team’s desire to reset its squad dynamics.
Despite the departures, KKR retains a strong core. Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi form the backbone of a squad that blends experience with emerging talent.