IPL 2026: Who is Kartik Sharma, CSK's ₹14.2 crore buy?
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made a major addition to their squad by signing uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma for ₹14.2 crore at the Indian Premier League 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi. The bidding war was ignited by the Mumbai Indians, who started the auction at a base price of ₹30 lakh. Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants soon joined in, pushing the price beyond ₹5 crore.
Bidding war
CSK secures Kartik Sharma after intense bidding
The fierce competition for Kartik's services saw CSK and KKR go head-to-head, further inflating his price. Sunrisers Hyderabad also made a last-minute bid, but it was CSK who eventually secured the player for a whopping ₹14.2 crore. This will be Kartik's first-ever stint in the IPL, having impressed with his lower-order hitting prowess in domestic white-ball tournaments so far.
Player profile
Kartik's impressive performance in domestic tournaments
Kartik was a standout performer for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali league stage, scoring 133 runs in five games at a strike rate of over 160. He has also maintained an impressive strike rate of 162.92 throughout his T20 career, which now spans 12 matches. He has 334 runs in the format at 30.36 (50s: 2). The 19-year-old prodigy has also played eight First-Class and nine List A games.
DYK
Joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history
Notably, Kartik became the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history. Minutes before buying him, CSK bought another uncapped player, Prashant Veer, for exactly ₹14.2 crore. Hence, Veer and Kartik now share the top spot on this list. The duo went past Avesh Khan, who was bought for ₹10 crore by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2022.