Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, as expected, became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history by earning a bid of Rs. 25.2 crore in the 2026 mini event in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (December 16).
However, a quirky IPL rule means that he won’t be taking all of that home, but Rs. 18 crore only — which is 28% less.
Green was always expected to be one of the most expensive players at the event. Mumbai Indians, who had a budget of just Rs. 2.75 crore at the event, cheekily started the bidding process, knowing very well they won’t be able to afford it. Then, the Rajasthan Royals also raised him to Rs. 13.40 Crore amid a bidding war with KKR, before Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jumped in and pushed the price beyond Rs. 25 crore.
The Rs 18 crore cap on overseas players in the IPL comes from new BCCI rules introduced before the last mega auction, which fixed the maximum fee payable to an overseas player in a mini-auction at the lower of two figures: the highest retention slab and the highest winning bid from that mega auction.
Although the previous mega auction saw Rishabh Pant go for Rs 27 crore, the top retention price was Rs 18 crore, which became the binding cap for overseas players in this auction cycle. As a result, overseas players in IPL 2026 cannot earn more than Rs 18 crore even if franchises bid higher.
Any amount above the cap does not go to the player but is diverted by the BCCI into a player welfare fund, while the franchise still pays the full bid from its auction purse.
This rule applies only to overseas players, as Indian players receive the entire amount they are bought for, and it is intended to prevent mini-auctions from becoming inflated due to the limited availability of overseas stars, even though franchises continue to bear the full financial cost of aggressive bidding.
