KKR pushed hard for Cameron Green but pulled out at Rs 21 crore, turning their exit into the mock auction’s defining moment conducting by R Ashwin. KKR then shifted focus to Liam Livingstone, and the aggressive bidding paid off as they closed the deal at INR 18.5 crore.
‘Winning Bid’ is Ashwin’s YouTube mock-auction show built around auction-day drama. Invited panels sit at separate tables and bid like IPL franchises, while Ashwin runs the room as auctioneer, steering the action through bidding tussles and the usual “sold” or “unsold” calls.
The first episode of Season 2 opens with headline names, and Green is the earliest big-ticket trigger. He walks in at an INR 2 crore base, but the bidding treats him like a premium asset from the first call. Delhi and Lucknow set the tone early, before Chennai turns it into a three-way fight. When KKR finally jump in, the tempo spikes and bids come in quick bursts. Once it reaches INR 21 crore, Kolkata step back, and Chennai seal the purchase.
Cameron Green is a compelling auction case because he can split a room down the middle. He offers the full package: a middle order batter, a genuine seam option, and top tier athleticism in the field. At the same time, he is the sort of high value signing that can reshape how a side balances the remaining XI. Looked at that way, KKR stepping out was not a lack of interest, but a hard stop on what they were willing to pay for an elite profile.
There’s another twist to the Green conversation this season. Even if the ‘winning bid’ shoots beyond INR 18 crore, it may not mean what most viewers think, because the number can be shaped by auction-rule calculations that are already feeding into IPL 2026 talk.
KKR’s response follows with Liam Livingstone.
The Livingstone chase turned into another proper bidding scrap, with KKR finally locking him in for INR 18.5 crore. It’s under Green’s INR 21 crore mark, but the output profile and team fit are a different proposition.
Green is the balance play. Livingstone is the burst of damage. He brings immediate power, forces matchups to shift, and can flip a chase in a handful of balls. That’s why the mock auction narrative lands so well. KKR allowed CSK to take the Green headline, then answered in their own way by making Livingstone the purchase that sent a message.