Dec 16 (Reuters) - Australia all-rounder Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for 252 million Indian rupees ($2.77 million) at the player auction for the 2026 season in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Green, who was initially registered as a batsman due to an error, was the subject of intense bidding between Kolkata and Chennai Super Kings before being purchased by the three-times champions.
The 26-year-old is the third most expensive player in IPL history, after India's Rishabh Pant (270 million Indian rupees) and Shreyas Iyer (267.5 million).
"We are very happy. This is something that we were really focused on... I think he adds a lot to our team," Kolkata CEO Venky Mysore said.
Australian Mitchell Starc, the previous most expensive foreign player in the competition, attracted a bid of 247.5 million Indian rupees in 2024 from Kolkata, who have made three of the five most expensive buys in IPL history.
Green, who missed the IPL this year as he was recovering from back surgery, is set to playin the third Ashes test against England starting on Wednesday.
Kolkata also spent big on Sri Lankan seamer Matheesha Pathirana and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.
Five-time champions Chennai splurged 142 million Indian rupees each on wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, who has hit 16 sixes in this season's Ranji Trophy, and all-rounder Prashant Veer, making them the most expensive uncapped signings in IPL history.
Delhi Capitals bought England batter Ben Duckett and South Africa's David Miller for 20 million Indian rupees each.
The 19th edition of the IPL begins on March 26, after India co-hosts the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February.
($1 = 90.9980 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
