Green was bought at Rs 30.5 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026 mock auction conducted by JioStar. Chennai Super Kings signed Rahul Chahar, Sarfaraz Khan and others for good amounts.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green shattered the Rs 30 crore barrier in the Indian Premier League mock auction conducted by the JioStar on the eve of the real auction that takes place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. England all-rounder Liam Livingstone and Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana also fetched big amounts in the mock bidding.
Green was bought at Rs 30.5 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who were being managed by Robin Uthappa in the mock auction. KKR also managed to win the bidding war for Pathirana who was signed for Rs 13 crore.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIPL auction: Uthappa explains what CSK’s approach will be on GreenAustralian all-rounder Cameron Green had opted out of the IPL 2025 mega auction due to a back injury after getting released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. PTI
The 26-year-old Green is expected to be the highest paid player at the upcoming auction with Rishabh Pant’s record of Rs 27 crore under threat. Uthappa said that he was ready to shell out even Rs 35 crore for Green in mock auction but he also cautioned that in reality, the Australian might only get around Rs 20 crore.
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“I knew CSK would also go after a middle-order all-rounder. I thought they would go somewhere around 25–28 crore,” Uthappa said on the JioStar show. “Realistically, I think they would go up to around ₹20 crore in the actual auction, because they would want to keep space for other Indian and overseas players as well. But in the mock auctions, I was ready to go up to 35 crore for a player like Green. I think Cameron Green should bat at No. 3 in the order.”
On Pathirana, Uthappa said that he bought the Sri Lankan because KKR were in need of a gun death bowler.
“It’s all about planning and keeping things simple. We needed a good death bowler. With the kind of coaching staff KKR have, Pathirana can be very effective at the death. He has been a little off colour recently and has gone back into the auction pool, which I think will make him more motivated to perform,” Uthappa said.
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Raina reveals possible CSK strategySarfaraz Khan recently smashed a 47-ball century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Image: UPCA
Former Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Suresh Raina was managing the franchise in the mock auction and he made some interesting choices. Raina bought Sarfaraz Khan for Rs 7 crore and Rahul Chahar for Rs 10 crore. He also picked up Wanindu Hasaranga for Rs 2 crore. Uthappa also got hold of Anrich Nortje for Rs 7.5 crore.
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Explaining the signing of Sarfaraz, Raina said: “Sarfaraz is batting really well right now. You don’t get that kind of player easily—the range of shots he plays, the confidence he has. The form Sarfaraz is in, even if he plays four or six matches and wins you two games, that 7 crore will be fully justified.”
The left-hander also said that he went after spinners because CSK will be lacking in that area with R Ashwin retiring and Ravindra Jadeja moving to Rajasthan Royals.
“I think we have addressed key areas in the auction war room. We picked Rahul Chahar as a leg-spinner and Wanindu Hasaranga because we don’t have Jadeja and Ashwin,” he said.
“We also strengthened our pace attack—Anrich Nortje is there, he has pace and can bowl yorkers consistently,” Raina said about the pacer’s inclusion.
Raina also noted that CSK could also go for Pathirana in the real auction that takes place on Tuesday.
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“In the main auction, many more players will be available. CSK may even look to buy Matheesha Pathirana again, given their concern around death bowling. That will be one of their key focus areas.”
Catch all the action from the TATA IPL 2026 mini-auction, December 16, 2:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
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