Australian allrounder Cameron Green makes Indian Premier League history with $3.15M deal

Australian allrounder Cameron Green has made history at the Indian Premier League auction overnight, landing a deal with the Mumbai Indians worth a staggering $3.15 million, the most expensive IPL deal ever paid for an Australian.

Mumbai won the services of the 23-year-old West Australian in a fierce bidding war with the Delhi Capitals. It makes Green the most expensive Australian in IPL history. Yet the figure still fell short of the sum paid for English fast-bowler Sam Curran, who became the most expensive player in IPL ever when we received $3.38 million.

Green broke Pat Cummins’ record, after starting at a reserve price of just $A360,000. “I’m pinching myself that this has all happened,” a shocked Green said. “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.”

Green will join countrymen Tim David and Jason Behrendorff at Mumbai. Fellow Australian quick Jhye Richardson will also be Green’s teammate after he was snapped up for $A270,700, a steep drop-off after the WA speedster earned $A2.5 million the last time he was sold at the IPL Auction two years ago.

Daniel Sams was the fourth Australian sold on the night, picking up a $A135,000) deal at Lucknow Super Giants, while leg-spinner Adam Zampa will go to the Rajasthan Royals on a contract worth about $A270,700.

In-form batter Travis Head, fresh off his greatest run of form and with a reserve of $A360,000, was snubbed as was former IPL superstar Chris Lynn. Fast-bowlers Sean Abbott, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Riley Meredith and Lance Morris also missed out.

Green’s potential has impressed everyone for the past few seasons. He is a powerful striker with the bat, a fast bowler who can hit 140km/h with impressive variation in his deliveries and already one of the game’s greatest fielders, having pouched several classic catches in all versions of the game from his preferred spot of gully.

Green has been a prodigal son of Australian cricket since taking 5 for 24 on first-class debut against Tasmania in February 2017 as a 17-year-old. Selected as a bowler for his hulking 200cm frame, Green’s struggle with stress fractures of the back saw him pour energy and frustration into batting. When he returned it was as a genuine allrounder.

Although Green didn’t play any first-class cricket in 2017-18 after his sensational debut, he spent the 2018 winter at Cricket Australia’s National Performance Centre and made his maiden first-class century in 2019-20, with unbeaten knocks of 87 and 121 to force an extraordinary draw against Queensland at the Gabba. Green went on to score two more centuries that summer, posting a career-best 197 from 438 balls against New South Wales in October, before getting his call up to the national side.

Since making his international debut in 2020, Green has played only 13 matches for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League yet 17 Tests for Australia, scoring 755 runs at 32.82 and claiming 18 wickets at 36.55. From 13 one-day internationals he has 290 runs at an average of 58.00 and 11 wickets at 29.27. From eight international T20s he has only 139 runs albeit at an average of 17.37 albeit at a strike-rate of 173.

English quick Curran landed his unprecedented IPL deal after a fabulous T20 World Cup campaign where he was named Player of the Tournament. The left-arm 24-year-old captured 13 wickets at the economy of 6.52 and strike-rate of 10.4, and took 5-10 against Afghanistan in Perth.

“He’s a world-class player,” said the Punjab Kings team director Ness Wadia of Curran. “He’d play in any world XI, in any of the top teams, he’s that good. He’s probably one of the best all-rounders in the world, if not the best.”

source: theguardian.com