Australian all-rounder Cameron Green experienced the ups and downs of cricket on December 17, 2025. He became the most expensive foreign player in IPL history, but his performance in the third Ashes Test was disappointing.
At the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Green for ₹25.20 crore after a tough bidding war with Chennai Super Kings. The 26-year-old Green overtook Mitchell Starc’s previous overseas player’s record (₹24.75 crore in 2024), proving his value as a top-order batsman and genuine fast bowling all-rounder. Due to the IPL’s foreign salary cap in the mini-auction, Green will get ₹18 crore, and the rest of the amount will be used for player welfare.
Less than 24 hours later, on the first day of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval, Green faced England fast bowler Jofra Archer. Green, who came in after lunch, was out on the very second ball – the ball took the edge of the bat and went to the wicketkeeper – Archer took two wickets in the same over, in which Marnus Labuschagne was also out. This early dismissal caused a stir on social media, which was in stark contrast to Green’s auction victory.
Despite this setback, Green’s IPL price reflects confidence in his versatility: power-hitting, technique and seam bowling suited to different conditions. After missing IPL 2025 due to back surgery, he has confirmed his fitness to bowl in 2026.
Australia, who lead the Ashes 2-0, managed to claw their way back into the match with contributions from Usman Khawaja (82) and Alex Carey (century). Green’s aim will be to perform well in the ongoing match and in the future also.
The incident exemplified the vagaries of cricket—the excitement of the auction was quickly tempered by the reality of the Test match—while also establishing Green as a valuable multi-format player.
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