All-rounders always attract the most attention at an IPL auction-especially seam-bowling all-rounders. And why not? They’re rare and provide ideal balance to a line-up, particularly in Indian conditions where spin usually dominates.
Australia’s Cameron Green, who missed the last IPL season, understands that well. To give both franchises and himself a better shot at a strong deal in next week’s mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, Green made a strategic move, revealed when the BCCI announced the 350-player list for the event.
Green, who is tipped to become one of the most expensive buys at the auction, listed himself as a batter rather than an all-rounder, placing him in the first set of players.
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The move raised eyebrows – does this mean Green will feature in IPL 2026 only as a batter? Is he injured? As it turns out, it was a carefully planned strategy that could benefit both him and the franchises.
In an IPL auction, batters are called first, followed by all-rounders and then bowlers. If Green, with a base price of INR 2 crore, had entered the second set, only teams with larger purses could have bid for him, potentially lowering his final deal value. By registering as a batter, he ensures every franchise has a fair chance to make a bid, significantly boosting his prospects of landing a record-breaking contract.
Irrespective of how he listed himself for the auction, Green will continue to play as an all-rounder in next year’s IPL. He has already featured in two seasons – for Mumbai Indians in 2023 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2024 – scoring 707 runs in 29 matches at a strike rate of 153.69, including one century and two fifties. With the ball, he has taken 16 wickets at an economy rate of 9.07.
Green will be part of Set 1 at the auction, alongside five other players – Devon Conway of New Zealand, Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk, South Africa’s David Miller and Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw from India. The overseas players in the list have a base price of INR 2 crore, while the two India batters, who failed to bag a deal at the mega auction last year, have the figure at INR 75 lakhs.
A total of 350 players have been shortlisted for the auction, of which 240 are Indians and 110 from overseas. Only 77 slots are available, including 31 for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders have the biggest purse of INR 64.30 crore, and have 13 slots to fill, followed by Chennai Super Kings, with INR 43.4 crore. They have nine slots vacant.