During Tuesday’s mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, Cameron Green may stand to gain the most from the IPL’s distorted demand-supply market dynamic surrounding seam-bowling all-rounders, as Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings are willing to spend a fortune on the Australian.
With a total purse of Rs 237.55 crore, the ten teams must fill 77 spots. The Mumbai Indians (Rs 2.75 crore) will essentially have no role to play other than selecting a few uncapped players at their base price.
Along with English dasher Liam Livingstone and out-of-favor India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, Green is probably going to get paid well.
Chennai Super Kings, who enter the mini-auction with a purse of Rs 43.40 crore, are the only team that can challenge Kolkata Knight Riders, who have a purse of 64.30 crore and are looking to rebuild the team with 13 spots to fill.
Because franchises have specific options and are always willing to go above and beyond to get players with unique skill sets, the mini-auction is always more interesting than the mega auction.
The troika of Green, Venkatesh Iyer, and Jason Holder of the West Indies, who are all priced at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (US$220,000), are expected to dominate the bidding battle because pace bowling all-rounders are typically in great demand.
Green in particular has mediocre IPL stats, with 704 runs and 16 wickets in 29 games. However, an Australian all-format regular is sure to gain traction, and the mini-auction is more of a demand-driven activity.
Everyone, with the exception of KKR CEO Venky Mysore, thought that Venkatesh’s Rs 23.75 crore auction bid was excessively expensive, and the player had his worst season in an attempt to defend the asking price.
The KKR need at least two quality top order batters and one all-rounder after releasing Andre Russell, the team’s new “Power Coach”.
Holder, the third of three pace-bowling all-rounders, may not be well-known, but he is just as skilled at bowling those big balls and using the long handle, which makes him valuable in a smaller auction with fewer options.
There is speculation that Green might overtake fellow countryman Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the most expensive foreign player at an IPL auction, but there would still be a catch.
Green’s compensation for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (US$1.9 million), even if his offer went up to Rs 25 crore. The players’ salaries and the bid sum would be mutually exclusive, with the former being taken out of the team’s yearly player fund.
The IPL’s “maximum-fee” clause, which stipulates that a foreign player’s maximum cost in a mini auction shall be the lesser of the highest price at the previous mega auction (Rs 27 crore for Rishabh Pant in 2025) and the highest retention slab (Rs 18 crore), is the cause.
Given Venkatesh’s skill set and ability, it would be fascinating if his offer worth exceeded Rs 10 crore (US$1.1 million). Since the Right To Match (RTM) card cannot be used in a mini-auction, KKR will need to make some wise decisions if they hope to reclaim Venkatesh.
Along with Quinton de Kock, who has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a match-winner with the bat in addition to being safe as a home behind the wickets, Liam Livingstone, an England swashbuckler who can also bowl useful spin, is another player who can reach the million-dollar threshold (Rs 9 crore).
Livingstone will probably become well-known if he breaks Rashid Khan’s mystique by hitting him for 26 runs in a “Hundred” game for Birmingham Phoenix.
Prashant Veer and Mukul Choudhary, two uncapped Indians, will draw bidders, while Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw will also be hoping that their cheap starting price of Rs 75 lakh would find takers.
CSK released Matheesha Pathirana, but teams like the Lucknow Super Giants (purse of Rs 22.95 crore) may make a strong bid because, even with Mohammed Shami and a chronically injured Mayank Yadav, their fast bowling capabilities appear to be exhausted. Pathirana is thought to have changed his style of play, but it’s unclear if CSK will be interested in him.
New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who has already established himself in the T20I circuit and is among the best players in the ICC rankings, is also on the list.
Ashok Sharma, an uncapped Indian who has played for IPL clubs in the past and is currently having a strong Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, is anticipated to draw very high offers.
