The IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, produced one of its most unforgettable moments even before the bidding took place at the Etihad Arena. In fact, when Cameron Green’s name was called, the auction room came to a brief halt.
No franchise was ready to take the first step. Then, in a quiet but clever twist, Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani picked up the paddle. Not to buy Cameron Green, but to move the market. Mumbai Indians opened the bidding at Green’s base price of ₹2 crore.
Akash Ambani’s thumbs-up moment goes viral during Cameron Green bid in IPL 2026 auction
Everyone in the room knew that MI was not serious, as only ₹2.60 crore was left in his purse. Once the opening bid was made, other teams immediately jumped in and Akash Ambani calmly stepped aside, which caught everyone’s attention.
Also Read: IPL 2026 Auction: CSK, MI, RCB and others under heavy criticism after Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan remain unsold
Ambani’s spontaneous reaction with a smile and a thumbs-up captured the moment perfectly, knowing that Green would not return to MI and take a big payday.
Akash Ambani enjoying Cameron Green’s opening bid #CameronGreen #iplauction2026 pic.twitter.com/Uj0jEl5vqG
– CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) 16 December 2025
Akash Ambani went green with a purse of Rs 2.75 crore. pic.twitter.com/fypZCEluN0
– Ayyappan (@Ayyappan_1504) 16 December 2025
One cannot forget the scene when Cameron Green scored 100 runs at Wankhede.
Letting him go was one of the biggest mistakes of Mumbai Indians and now they want him.
Akash Ambani tries to be a mastermind but sadly he is not. pic.twitter.com/VxVdkXZET9
– Anshuman (@AvengerReturns) 16 December 2025
CSK played hard, but KKR broke the bank for Cameron Green in IPL 2026 auction
Later, a fierce bidding war broke out among the franchises in the auction. Rajasthan Royals remained in the race for some time but eventually retreated. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who entered the auction with the biggest purse of ₹64.3 crore, were ready to break their bank for Green.
Chennai Super Kings (₹43.4 crore purse) played hard for the Australian all-rounder. The bids soon reached ₹10 crore, then ₹15 crore and soon crossed the ₹20 crore mark. The battle became more intense when CSK touched the ₹25 crore mark and broke Mitchell Starc’s record of ₹24.75 crore.
However, KKR managed to sign Green for a huge price of ₹25.2 crore, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL auction history. However, due to the new IPL rules, a foreign player can earn a maximum of ₹18 crore as salary. The remaining ₹7.20 crore from Green’s deal will go to the player welfare fund started by the BCCI.
Also Read: KKR officially announces Cameron Green’s batting position for IPL 2026; Sunil Narine was demoted
KKR will be Green’s third franchise in the IPL. The star all-rounder had already played for Mumbai Indians in 2023, when MI spent ₹17.5 crore on him, and later played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2024. However, Green missed IPL 2025 due to a back injury. Now Green is all set to start a new chapter in the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Venky Mysore confirms Cameron Green fits perfectly into KKR’s IPL 2026 plans
Meanwhile, after releasing Venkatesh Iyer, KKR CEO Venky Mysore said that the franchise is satisfied that Green comes within their planned scope and fits perfectly into the team’s requirements.
Mysore told the broadcasters, “We are very pleased, especially considering how unpredictable the auction can be. The player came within the range we had planned for, which makes the result even more satisfying.
“He adds great value to the team, and with Andre Russell coming on board as our new power coach, it is ideal to have a young all-rounder with IPL and international experience. Given his impact with both bat and ball, and the conditions at the Eden, we couldn’t be happier with the result.”
