IPL 2026 auction is scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Rajasthan’s young duo, Kartik Sharma and Ashok Sharma, were spotted attending the trials of the reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
RCB retained 17 players from their title-winning campaign but also released several stars, including Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, along with domestic players such as Swastik Chikara, Manoj Bhandage and Mohit Rathee. With the RCB purse standing at INR 16.2 crores, RCB have made sufficient space to accommodate Kartik and Ashok in the IPL 2026 squad.
RCB released young Swastik Chikara ahead of the IPL 2026 auction without giving him a game last season. With Kartik Sharma attending trials ahead of the auction, the franchise could look at him as a potential replacement.
The 19-year-old Kartik Sharma is known for eye-catching stroke play and exceptional use of wrists, making heads turn in his debut senior season. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2024-25, Kartik smashed 26 sixes, the most by any player in the competition, while finishing as Rajasthan’s highest run-getter with 445 runs at an average of 55.62 and a strike rate of 118.03, courtesy of two hundreds and as many half-centuries.
He also displayed some exceptional power-hitting during the SMAT 2025-26, accumulating 133 runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.24. Continuing his rich vein in the first leg of the Ranji Trophy 2025, Kartik amassed 139 off 192 balls, his third first-class century in just 11 innings.
Hence, given his consistency across formats and with age in his favour, RCB could look to groom him for the future. Sharing the dressing room with some of the best players in world cricket, like Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik and Tim David, would provide Kartik an invaluable learning experience.
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Featured in the Rajasthan Royals (RR) released players list, Ashok Sharma has done nothing wrong at the ongoing SMAT 2025 to earn yet another IPL contract. The right-arm pacer finished the group stage as the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 16 wickets at an average of 12.10 and an economy of 8.84, including a hat-trick against Uttarakhand and a decisive spell against Saurashtra. With the bat, Ashok also provided some crucial lower-order contributions, including a seven-ball 15-run cameo in Rajasthan’s two-wicket win against Saurashtra with just one ball to spare.
Earlier this year, Ashok Sharma made his first-class debut and claimed 14 wickets in seven innings, highlighting his wicket-keeping ability. These incredible performances could help him to spark a bidding war at the IPL 2026 auction.
Having previously been with the KKR and RR squads, Ashok has honed his skills for two years and seems finally ready to announce himself to the world with a strong IPL 2026 campaign. His presence at the RCB trials suggests growing interest from multiple franchises seeking a reliable Indian seam bowler.
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