Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have addressed their record-breaking INR 25.20 crore bid for Australian all-rounder Cameron Green at the recent IPL auction, stating they were keen but not emotionally attached to securing his services. The hefty price tag made Green the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, surpassing Mitchell Starc's previous record.
"We identified Cameron as a key player for our squad, and we were prepared to go the distance," a KKR spokesperson said. "His all-round abilities and potential to contribute in all three departments are what attracted us. However, we also had a clear understanding of our budget and were disciplined in our approach."
The auction saw an intense bidding war between KKR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals also initially showing interest. Ultimately, KKR prevailed, but the franchise emphasized that their strategy wasn't solely focused on Green.
"We have a comprehensive plan for building our team, and Cameron was one part of that plan," the spokesperson explained. "We have other targets in mind, and we are confident that we can assemble a strong and competitive squad for the upcoming season."
The high bid for Green sparked considerable debate, particularly in light of a revised IPL rule capping the actual payout to overseas players at INR 18 crore. The remaining INR 7.20 crore from KKR's bid will be allocated to the IPL Players' Welfare Fund. This regulation, introduced to prevent inflated bids at mini-auctions, means Green's salary will be significantly less than the auction price.
KKR's owners, Knight Riders Sports Private Limited, consist of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment (holding 55% stake) and the Mehta Group (owning the remaining 45%). They have been associated with KKR since the franchise's inception in 2008. Under their ownership, KKR has won three IPL titles, in 2012, 2014 and 2024.
Looking ahead, KKR will aim to integrate Green into their existing squad, which includes retained players like Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakravarthy. The team will look to Green's versatility to bolster both their batting and bowling. Green, a right-handed batter and right-arm fast-medium bowler, has represented Australia in all three formats of the game and was part of the Australian team that won the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.
KKR's next challenge will be to maximize their remaining purse and fill the remaining slots in their squad, keeping in mind the importance of squad balance and long-term financial sustainability.
