Cameron Green has emerged as the most expensive overseas buy at the TATA IPL 2026 mini-auction so far, and the third most expensive purchase in the history of TATA IPL. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Match Centre Live Auction 2026’, JioStar expert Anil Kumble and Abhinav Mukund analyzed KKR’s strategy and the smart buy of David Miller by Delhi Capitals.
Anil Kumble commented on Cameron Green being sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.2 crore:
“I would like to see him play the opening slot for KKR. I think, in terms of a finisher, KKR already have a decent line-up. They have Rinku Singh, for instance. I don’t think they utilised their resources well last season. If you compare it to the season when they won the trophy, it was a similar kind of line-up. Yes, of course, Shreyas Iyer, the skipper, was missing and Mitchell Starc, the key fast bowler, was also missing. However, if you look at the kind of batting depth they had — Ramandeep Singh, Rovman Powell and Rinku Singh; these are all capable and experienced batters who can operate in the No. 5, No. 6, finisher roles. So I feel, they don’t need a Cameron Green to do that job. I would rather see him at the top of the order, either opening or at No. 3, depending on where Ajinkya Rahane wants to bat. Sunil Narine could drop down to No. 6 or No. 7 or even act as a floater.”
Abhinav Mukund on Cameron Green being sold to Kolkata Knight Riders:
“I don’t think Cameron Green is yet a four-over, bankable IPL bowler, and KKR don’t necessarily need one. What they need is power at the top of the order — that’s where they struggled. Even when teams were scoring 220 or 230, KKR found it difficult to chase those totals last year. As Anil bhai mentioned, only three slots from last season were not replaced, and one of the most important areas was the opening combination of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, who were outstanding in KKR’s 2024 championship-winning season. That’s where KKR need to take a call — what do they do with Sunil Narine’s batting position? If Narine bats at No. 7, it opens up the option of Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green opening, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi batting at No. 3, who is a terrific young player with a lot of upside. Green fits in beautifully there. They don’t require an Andre Russell-type player at the back end anymore because the league has become powerplay-dominant. Teams that consistently reach the latter stages usually have two or three powerful batters in the top three.”
JioStar expert Anil Kumble on David Miller being sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹2 crore:
“Experience is something Delhi Capitals clearly lacked. While the uncapped batters did perform well last season — Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam, in particular, played the finisher’s role effectively. Adding someone with David Miller’s experience and ability is a big plus. Pairing him with Tristan Stubbs, his South African teammate, strengthens the middle order significantly. At that price, it’s an absolute steal for Delhi Capitals. I thought Gujarat Titans might look to bring him back, but they seem likely to stick with Washington Sundar for that role. Overall, it’s a very smart move by Delhi Capitals to add experience — something they were missing last season.”
