IPL 2026 Auction: Highest Bid Player & Most Expensive Buy Revealed

IPL 2026 Auction: The IPL 2026 auction, one of the most eagerly anticipated cricket events of the year, took center stage on December 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi.

With franchises locked in a fierce battle to secure the best talent, fans and analysts were buzzing about one question: Who would become the highest-paid player of the auction?

Let’s break down the big takeaways from this year’s action-packed auction.

IPL 2026 Biggest Buzz: Who Got the Highest Bid?

Although the official Auction Day results are still unfolding, the IPL 2026 mini-auction has already sparked huge interest—especially around Australian all-rounder Cameron Green.
Prior to the main auction, during a widely watched mock auction by Star Sports, Green attracted the top bid—fetched at an astonishing price—making him the most expensive player in that mock scenario.

While mock auction figures don’t count as official IPL records, they strongly indicate where the money could flow during the real auction. Green’s exceptional all-round skills—power hitting, useful pace bowling, and dynamic fielding—made him the centerpiece of intense bidding speculation.

If Cameron Green indeed attracts the top bid during the actual IPL 2026 auction, he could break previous IPL auction records and become the most expensive buy in IPL history.

IPL’s Most Expensive Player in History—So Far

Before IPL 2026, the record for the highest bid in the history of the league was held by Rishabh Pant. In the IPL 2025 mega auction, Pant was sold to the Lucknow Super Giants for a massive ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player ever at that time.

Here’s how the previous top bids lined up:

• Rishabh Pant – ₹27 crore (most expensive ever)

• Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 crore (second-highest)

• Mitchell Starc – ₹24.75 crore (previous record before 2025)

These figures set the stage for IPL 2026, with franchises likely targeting even bigger buys.

TATA IPL 2026 AUCTION MOST EXPENSIVE BUY: "Live Now"

1.  Cameron Green:  25.20 Cr. (KKR)
2. Matheesha Pathirana: 18 Cr. (KKR)

3. Prashant Veer: 14.20 Cr. (CSK)

4. Kartik Sharma: 14.20 Cr. (CSK)

5. Auqib Dar: 8.40 Cr. (DC)

6. Ravi Bishnoi: 7.20 Cr. (RR)

7. Venkatesh Iyer: 7 Cr. (RCB)