Who Is Kartik Sharma: CSK's New Young Sensation Who Broke IPL Auction Record With Rs 14.2 Crore Bid
Wicket-keeper batter Kartik Sharma stunned everyone at the IPL 2026 Auction. The 19-year-old from Rajasthan was bought for a massive Rs 14.20 Crore by Chennai Super Kings.
Wicket-keeper batter Kartik Sharma stunned everyone at the IPL 2026 Auction. The 19-year-old from Rajasthan was bought for a massive Rs 14.20 Crore by Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai Indians opened the bidding at Rs 30 lakh before Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants engaged in an intense battle. However, once the bidding war reached the Rs 5 Crore mark, it was CSK who took charge, and despite Sunrisers Hyderabad entering late, the five-time champions won the battle.
This will be the first time that the youngster will feature in the IPL. He drew a lot of attention for his explosive lower-order batting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage, where he scored 133 runs in 5 matches. While the youngster has played just 12 T20 matches till now, he has been quite consistent with a strike rate above 160. He is currently the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history, alongside Prashant Veer, who was bought for the same price by Chennai Super Kings.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir pace sensation Aquib Nabi Dar was picked by Delhi Capitals (DC) for a whopping Rs 8.40 crores in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, while Uttar Pradesh's spin bowling all-rounder Prashant Veer made history to become the most expensive uncapped Indian player in tournament's history.
The IPL auction 2026 continued to spring surprises. The 29-year-old Aquib from Jammu and Kashmir, causing mayhem in domestic cricket with his skillset as a pacer, finally got a home in the biggest league in the world. On the other hand, Veer was picked by CSK for a massive Rs 14.20 crores and could fill in the big shoes of Ravindra Jadeja, one of the franchise's biggest match-winners.
For Aquib, DC started the bid, and eventually Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) entered the fray. As the bid crossed Rs 1 crore, RR opted out, and RCB continued to bid along with DC, with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) also joining in. It was eventually DC which got him for Rs 8.40 crores.
In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Aquib took 15 wickets at an average of 13.26, with a four-fer to his name. In 34 T20s, he has taken 43 wickets at an average of 21.81, including two four-fers. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy too, he has so far taken 29 wickets in five matches at an average of 13.27, with a four-fer and three five-wicket hauls to his name, including best figures of 7/24 against Rajasthan.
Aquib hails from Baramullah and is a fine new-ball bowler who also has shown improvements with the older ball.
Prashant Veer, an all-rounder from UP, also got attention with a massive bidding war between Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, CSK, RR and SRH. It was the five-time champions CSK which persisted till last and got him for Rs 14.20 crores. He has been a solid performer for UP in SMAT, scoring 112 runs in six innings at an average of above 37 and a SR of above 170 and a best score of 40*. He also took nine wickets in seven matches at an average of around 18.
(With ANI inputs)
Chennai Super Kings