Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Chennai Super Kings (CSK) missed an opportunity by failing to secure Cameron Green at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) eventually
signed the Australian all-rounder for INR 25.20 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.
The bidding for Green began with Mumbai Indians (MI) opening at INR 2 crore, before Rajasthan Royals (RR) and KKR swiftly entered the fray. What followed was an intense bidding war, with the price rapidly surging past INR 8 crore and then INR 13 crore. CSK joined the contest late, further escalating the value beyond INR 20 crore.
However, KKR showed greater resolve at the business end of the auction, outlasting the five-time champions to land the marquee all-rounder. Reflecting on the proceedings, Ashwin suggested that CSK lacked clear intent during the bidding process, while he praised KKR for their decisiveness and willingness to commit heavily to secure Green’s services.
“We conducted a mock auction, and that’s when it became clear there was virtually no chance of him going over Rs 30 crores. In fact, had KKR been a little more patient—like some other franchises, Punjab for instance, who took their time while bidding - things might have played out differently,” Ashwin said on Ash Ki Baat.
“If that had happened, CSK would likely have let Cameron Green go much earlier. I had a sense that CSK were bidding more out of necessity than intent; it didn’t feel like they were fully committed to acquiring him. Personally, I felt Cameron Green would have been a terrific addition to CSK, and in that sense, they may have missed a small trick. That said, this isn’t about the price point. Cameron Green is a generational talent, and for KKR, he is an outstanding acquisition,” he added.
Speaking about Green, the Australian all-rounder has previously featured in the IPL for MI and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Across 29 matches for the two franchises, Green has amassed 707 runs at an impressive average of 41.58 and a strike rate of 153.69, including a century, while also picking up 16 wickets. Green made a strong impact during his stint with MI in IPL 2023 before continuing his all-round contributions for RCB.
