IPL 2026 Mega Auction: CSK Bags Uncapped Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 Crore

In the IPL 2026 mega auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) showed immense faith in young players. After Prashant Veer, CSK once again broke records by acquiring Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore. With this, Kartik has become one of the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history.

Record Broken for Uncapped Players

This is not the first time CSK has spent such a huge amount on uncapped players in the history of the IPL auction, but bidding ₹14.20 crore on two players in the same auction has surprised everyone. Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma have now jointly become the most expensive uncapped players in the IPL.

Who is Kartik Sharma?

Kartik Sharma is a rising star in Indian domestic cricket. He is a wicketkeeper-batsman and is known for his aggressive batting. Kartik primarily bats in the middle order and has the ability to hit big shots in the death overs.

Strong Performance in Domestic Cricket

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26, Kartik Sharma, playing for Rajasthan, scored 133 runs in 5 matches at a strike rate of nearly 160. The most special thing about his game is his ability to change the course of the match in a few balls.

So far in his T20 career, Kartik Sharma has scored 334 runs in 12 matches. His strike rate is approximately 163, which makes him extremely suitable for modern T20 cricket. He has played the role of a finisher on several occasions in the death overs.

At just 19 years old, Kartik Sharma had already made a name for himself with outstanding performances at the Under-14 and Under-16 levels. He had previously given trials with IPL franchises, but this time his performance in the Ranji Trophy and domestic T20s led to him fetching a multi-crore bid.

Why is he special for CSK?

Being a wicketkeeper and having the ability to score runs quickly makes Kartik Sharma a perfect package for CSK. The team had been searching for a reliable finisher for a long time, a role that Karthik can fulfill.