Why Cameron Green Will Receive Only INR 18 Crore Despite KKR's Bidding of INR 25.20 Crore At the IPL 2026 Auction?

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green became the third-most expensive player in IPL history on Tuesday, securing a massive INR 25.20 crore bid from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. However, despite the record-breaking figure, Green will take home only INR 18 crore as his actual salary for the season. This discrepancy is the result of a new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulation designed to curb the inflation of overseas player salaries during mini-auctions. KKR Squad for IPL 2026: Cameron Green Sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 25.20 Crore at Indian Premier League Auction.

The Maximum Fee Rule Explained

The BCCI introduced the "maximum fee" rule to ensure that overseas players do not command disproportionately higher salaries in mini-auctions compared to the top-tier Indian players retained before a mega-auction. Under this regulation, an overseas player's salary in a mini-auction is capped at a specific ceiling.

For the IPL 2026 Auction, the ceiling is determined by the lower of two benchmarks:

1. The highest retention slab for an Indian player (currently INR 18 crore).
2. The highest winning bid from the previous mega-auction (INR 27 crore for Rishabh Pant).

Since INR 18 crore is the lower of the two, it acts as the "hard cap" for any overseas player’s earnings this year. While KKR’s winning bid reached INR 25.20 crore, the league's rules mandate that Green's personal compensation cannot exceed the INR 18 crore mark.

Impact on Franchise Purses and BCCI Funds

While Green will not receive the full bid amount, the Kolkata Knight Riders do not get a discount. The franchise's auction purse will still be deducted by the full INR 25.20 crore. RCB Squad for IPL 2026: Venkatesh Iyer Sold to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for INR 7 Crore at Indian Premier League Auction.

The "surplus" amount, the INR 7.20 crore difference between the winning bid and the salary cap, is redirected to the BCCI's player welfare and development fund. This structure ensures that franchises cannot simply bypass the spirit of the cap to gain a financial advantage, as they still face the real cost of the high bid in their remaining budget.

Addressing Strategic Auction Entry

The rule change was primarily driven by concerns from franchises that overseas stars were skipping the "mega" auctions, where the player pool is large and prices are more stable, to enter "mini" auctions. In mini-auctions, the scarcity of top-tier talent combined with leftover franchise budgets often leads to massive bidding wars.

To further discourage this, the BCCI has also implemented a mandatory registration policy: any overseas player who skips the mega-auction without a valid reason is barred from entering the subsequent mini-auction. KKR Team in IPL 2026: Players Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders at Indian Premier League Auction, Check Full Squad.

Indian Players Exempt

It is important to note that this salary cap applies exclusively to overseas cricketers. Indian players remain exempt from the "maximum fee" rule. If an Indian player were to fetch a bid of INR 25.20 crore in the same auction, they would receive the full amount as their salary.

By capping international earnings at the highest Indian retention level, the BCCI aims to maintain a perceived balance in the league's pay hierarchy, ensuring that the tournament's domestic "icons" remain the highest-paid individuals in the ecosystem.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2025 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).