At the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, a 19-year-old from Bharatpur, Rajasthan made history. Chennai Super Kings paid ₹14.20 crore for Kartik Sharma — a completely uncapped cricketer — making him the joint-most expensive uncapped Indian player in IPL history.
Kartik is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who bats in the middle order. His T20 strike rate of over 160 and power-hitting ability against both spin and pace caught the eye of multiple franchises. CSK, SRH, and KKR engaged in a fierce three-way bidding war before CSK went all in.
His domestic numbers back the hype. In the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was Rajasthan's top scorer with 445 runs. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he smashed 334 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 163, including 28 sixes. He also scored a century on his Ranji Trophy debut — 113 off 115 balls.
The story behind the price tag is equally compelling. Born into a middle-class family, his father Manoj Sharma quit his teaching job to train him, while his mother sold her jewellery to fund his cricket. His first goal after the auction — repay his father's ₹26 lakh loan.
CSK hasn't just bought a cricketer. They've backed a story.
