Cameron Green looks odds-on to be this year’s marquee signing after the IPL circulated its full 2026 auction longlist to franchises late on Monday. The Australian all-rounder is one of 46 players to enter at the maximum reserve price of INR 2 crore (about £190,000), and – fitness permitting – he answers several questions left by Andre Russell’s retirement at Kolkata Knight Riders.
In total, 1,355 names have been registered. With squads capped at 25, only 77 places are open across the ten teams, 31 of them for overseas players. Franchises have until 5 December to whittle the longlist into a working shortlist ahead of the one-day sale in Abu Dhabi on 16 December.
Money in the bank
KKR and Chennai Super Kings turn up with the thickest wallets – INR 64.3 crore and 43.4 crore respectively – and both still have an overseas slot. KKR, who released nine players last week, appear the most obvious suitors for Green. The 26-year-old offers Russell-like power hitting, bowls a reliable heavy ball and fields well, ticks three boxes in one go.
Speaking to Australian media after the summer, Green said, “The back’s good now. I just want to play as much cricket as possible.” That line alone will reassure bidders who avoided him 12 months ago while he rehabbed a stress fracture.
Chennai, as ever, will do their homework. Stephen Fleming tends to look for bowlers who nail the death overs, and Sri Lankan quick Matheesha Pathirana – also in the two-crore bracket – remains on their radar despite last season’s injury issues. “We still rate Matheesha highly,” Fleming said in October. “It’s about keeping him on the park.”
Released and re-entering
Plenty of 2025 casualties have come back at the top price. England’s Liam Livingstone, let go by Royal Challengers Bengaluru after an underwhelming year, is among them. So too Indian pair Ravi Bishnoi and Venkatesh Iyer – both commanding eight-figure deals last auction only to slip down the pecking order.
Lucknow’s decision to cut Bishnoi was pragmatic rather than dramatic. His four-year numbers trended down: economy nearly nine an over, strike rate drifting. “Ravi’s a terrific talent,” LSG director Gautam Gambhir explained last week, “but we couldn’t justify that chunk of the purse.”
Notable absentees
Glenn Maxwell’s name is missing. Punjab Kings bought the 37-year-old for 4.2 crore last time, but a fractured finger and modest returns have nudged him towards the commentary booth for now. PBKS have retained his replacement, all-rounder Mitchell Owen, after glimpsing potential during their run to last season’s final.
Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, another Australian who impressed Punjab supporters, does go back into the mix. His base price is lower – INR 1 crore – though a couple of teams have flagged interest in an “explosive keeper who’s comfortable opening or floating”.
How the numbers stack up
• Total registered players: 1,355
• Available squad spots: 77
• Overseas spots: 31
• Players in ₹2-crore bracket: 46
Quick glossary (for the casuals)
Death overs – the final overs of an innings when run-scoring accelerates.
Right-to-match – allows a former team to equal the highest bid and keep their player.
Purse – the amount of money a franchise can spend at the auction.
What happens next
Franchises will finalise shortlists this week, analysts crunching match-up data while coaches juggle chemistry and budgets. Expect provisional offers to circulate – “nothing binding, just temperature checks,” as one team analyst put it – before the auction room brings cold reality.
Green is favourite to walk away richer; Pathirana, Livingstone and Bishnoi won’t be far behind. Yet with only 77 seats at the table and more than 17 players for every vacancy, a few familiar faces will leave Abu Dhabi empty-handed. That, as ever, is the brutal beauty of an IPL auction.
