Cameron Green makes Aussie history in massive $3 million IPL deal

Cameron Green has made Australian cricket history after a day of unprecedented drama for the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The allrounder - who is part of the national set-up for all three formats of the game - became the most expensive Aussie cricketer in the history of India's domestic T20 competition, after being snapped up by the Mumbai Indians for an eye-watering 17.5 crore (A$3.15 million).

That figure broke the previous record for an Australian player at the IPL auction - namely Aussie captain Pat Cummins' move to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2020. Green's versatility with bat and ball made him a desirable acquisition but the 23-year-old admits he was taken back by the staggering amount of money paid to secure his services.

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"I'm pinching myself that this has all happened," Green said from Melbourne where he's preparing for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. "It's such a weird feeling watching an auction for yourself. I can't believe how nervous I was and I was shaking like anything when the final call was confirmed.

"I've always been a huge fan of the IPL and it's going to be so cool to be a part of it. The Mumbai Indians are one of the powerhouses of the competition so I feel very humbled to be joining them. I can't wait to get there next year."

Sam Curran breaks all-time record at IPL auction

Green came close to breaking the record for the most ever spent by an IPL franchise at the auction, however, that honour went to England allrounder Sam Curran. The 24-year-old - who was named player of the tournament during England's T20 World Cup triumph last month - was snapped up by the Punjab Kings, who paid almost $3.6 million for his services.

The 24-year-old's record-breaking deal made him the hottest property during a six-way bidding war in Kerala, with Test captain Ben Stokes (CSK) and Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad) close behind as they scored deals worth $2.9m and $2.4m respectively.

Curran's stock has never been higher after he starred in England's T20 World Cup triumph in Australia last month, picking up the player of the tournament and player of the final double, and his was the name on everybody's lips as bidding got under way in Kerala. "I'm very happy to have him on board, he has a lot of skills with both bat and ball," Australian Trevor Bayliss, the Punjab coach, said.

It marks a remarkable shift in fortunes for Curran, who was released by his former franchise Chennai early in 2021 and was not fit enough to take part in the subsequent mega auction.

Mumbai bought another West Australian in Perth Scorchers star Jhye Richardson for his base price of $270,000. The pair will be joined at Mumbai by compatriots Tim David and Jason Behrendorff, both of whom were already retained by the franchise for the 2023 season.

Adam Zampa, who played for RCB in 2021, was signed by Rajasthan Royals for $270,000 while Daniel Sams went to Lucknow Super Giants, his fourth IPL franchise, for $135,000. Marcus Stoinis had already been retained by LSK. Travis Head and Riley Meredith went unsold.

The auction brought to 13 the number of Australians due to feature in the IPL in 2023, with those including Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood (both RCB), Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings), Mitch Marsh, David Warner (both Delhi Capitals, where Ricky Ponting is head coach) and Matt Wade (Gujarat Titans).

Only three of the ten franchises do not have an Australian player. Two of the exceptions - Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata - do have Mike and Dave Hussey as part of their respective coaching staff.

with AAP

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