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Akash Ambani's reaction for Cameron Green sums up dire purse situation as MI pull out of race
Instead of raising the paddle, Akash Ambani pulled out of the race by raising his hand and showing a thumbs-up.
Cameron Green joined Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2026 mini auction for a massive sum of ₹25.2 crore on Tuesday. The move saw him become the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction, overtaking Mitchell Starc ( ₹24.75 crore). (IPL Auction 2026 Live Updates)
It was a fierce bidding war, as KKR ultimately emerged victorious. But it was MI, who started the bidding, at his base price of ₹2 crore. But MI quickly pulled out of the race due to their purse, which is only ₹2.6 crore for the mini auction, and Akash Ambani's reaction summed up the situation.
Also Read: Full list of sold and unsold players in IPL auction 2026: KKR break the bank for Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana
Instead of raising the paddle, Ambani pulled out of the race by raising his hand and showing a thumbs-up. The moment was perfectly summed up by the smile on his face, knowing that Green would not join MI.
The bidding war saw RR almost go out for Green, but KKR, with the biggest purse, was always ahead. KKR had the highest bid at ₹13.60 crore, but then CSK entered the race with a bid of ₹13.80 crore. Then, as the war intensified, KKR reached ₹19.2 crore. The 20 crore-mark was crossed, and Starc's record was broken as CSK went for ₹25 crore. Then KKR finally emerged as the top bidder with a bid of ₹25.2 crore.
KKR and CSK began the mini auction with the largest purses. KKR started with ₹64.3 crore and CSK had ₹43.4 crore. Also, in accordance with new IPL rules, an overseas player can't earn more than ₹18 crore. So Green will only receive ₹18 crore, and the remaining 7.20 crore will go towards player welfare.
Green has spent two seasons in the IPL before, playing for MI in 2023 and RCB in 2024. In 2023, MI broke the bank for him, paying ₹17.5 crore.
