CSK bought him for INR 14.20 crore.
Even before CSK bought him at the IPL 2026 auction, Kartik Sharma was near certain to be in huge demand and get picked by one of the big franchises. As if his domestic exploits weren’t enough, he also attended trials of most teams and impressed almost everywhere.
Eventually, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bought him for INR 14.20 crore after intense bidding with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He became the joint-most expensive uncapped player ever in IPL history, with as many as five teams showing interest in him during the mini auction, which shows his quality.
In an interview with the Times of India, Kartik Sharma revealed how Deepak Chahar’s father, Lokendra Singh Chahar, trained him, and he still uses Deepak’s bat. He added that he hasn’t idolised anyone, and Deepak and Rahul Chahar, both of whom have represented India, have been his role models, with the former advising him to start doing wicketkeeping.
“Keeping karna start kar, nahi toh ek dimension ka player reh jaayega” (Start keeping, or you’ll remain a one-dimensional player). I never had any role models. I grew up watching Deepak bhaiya and Rahul bhaiya. Both went on to play for India. I never had to look anywhere else.”
Kartik Sharma trialled for as many as seven teams before the auction, and among them was Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The defending champions called several players for trials, and among the most impressive ones was Kartik Sharma.
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In the same interview, he revealed how Dinesh Karthik motivated him to work harder on his game and said that he has the qualities to play for India. The RCB coach also advised him to keep working hard even if he earns an IPL contract.
“When I went for the RCB trial, I met Dinesh Karthik. He told me to work harder and never stop. He said I have everything in me to play for India. He told me that even if I get a big IPL contract, I should not be satisfied because the sky is the limit. I’m extremely grateful for his words.”
As it turned out, Kartik did earn a hefty IPL deal, and he must keep Dinesh’s words in his mind and not get carried away with this price. The next step should obviously be to become a settled IPL player before dreaming of the highest honour: playing for India.
Kartik Sharma has been mighty impressive in every age-group tournament, and one thing that has stood out in every tournament has been his brute power and six-hitting ability. From childhood, he has trained himself to become a six-hitter and would hit big shots in every practice session.
At CSK, he fits nicely since they are looking for MS Dhoni’s successor – someone who can play big shots in the middle order and keep wickets. Kartik Sharma fits nicely in that role; he has done it everywhere, including for his state side, Rajasthan.
CSK might not use him straight away since they already have MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson, but they clearly want to groom him as the next ‘big thing’ in the franchise. With MS around, he will understand his role more next season and how to evolve in it, as domestic and IPL levels are contrasting.
The recent change in CSK’s strategy means they might give more time and the right exposure to young players to develop, something they have failed to do consistently with numerous players over the years. That’s why Kartik Sharma couldn’t have found a better time to get into that team, and if things go well, he might be doing what MS had done all these years for CSK, and possibly for India.
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