Unexpected names are frequently revealed at the IPL auction and quickly become the subjects of discussion. The IPL 2026 mini auction was no exception. One of the surprises was the Chennai Super Kings’ decision to support a talent who was relatively unknown, which immediately raised the interest of fans and experts.
CSK, who have always been the team that recognised potential in players and relied on their youth, once more went with their gut feeling. The selection of Kartik Sharma at the price of Rs. 14.20 crore triggered multiple inquiries about the player’s background, his capabilities, and the role he might be playing in the franchise’s future and development strategies.
Who is Kartik Sharma
He is a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who was able to gain more attention with Rajasthan’s advancement into the knockout stages from Elite group D. He was born in Rajasthan in 2006 and belonged to a humble family. His cricket career began with street cricket, and then he was admitted to a local academy.
His instructors had no difficulty seeing his innate timing and daring style. He consistently advanced through the ranks, starting off with Rajasthan in the U-14 and U-16 categories and then demonstrating his great skills in the U-19 tournament. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are his role models and he has built his own style which is both collected and aggressive.
Kartik Sharma’s potential
Kartik has been the topic of discussion for his great attacking middle-order batting in local white-ball cricket, especially in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy league stage, where he managed to score 133 runs in five games with a strike rate of over 160. Throughout his brief T20 career of just 12 matches, he has maintained a strike rate higher than 160 all the time. Kartik is now the shared highest-priced uncapped player in IPL history, together with Prashant Veer, since both players were acquired by Chennai Super Kings for the same amount.
