IPL 2026: Who is Kartik Sharma? Rajasthan's wicket-keeper who bagged 14.20 Cr in mini-auction

By Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek has a Master's in Journalism and has written more than 50,000 articles. He currently works as a cricket content writer at Khel Now.

Published at :December 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM

Modified at :December 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM

IPL 2026: Who is Kartik Sharma? Rajasthan's wicket-keeper who bagged 14.20 Cr in mini-auction

Chennai Super Kings bought Kartik Sharma in the IPL 2026 auction.

Indian youngster Kartik Sharma grabbed many eyeballs during the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) auction on Tuesday, December 16, by getting picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a huge amount of INR 14.20 crore. He became the joint-most expensive player in IPL auction history.

He had a base price of INR 30 lakh in the auction, but the Men in Yellow did not shy away from spending millions for the 19-year-old youngster. A total of 234 players were part of the INR 30 lakh bracket in the IPL 2026 auction. This was the lowest price bracket available for the mini-auction.

CSK retained 16 players in their squad ahead of the mini auction. Hence, they have nine empty spots, including four overseas players. After Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they had the maximum salary purse available at INR 43.40 crore.

Who is Kartik Sharma?

Kartik Sharma is a 19-year-old wicket-keeper batsman who plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket. He made his debut in the domestic circuit in 2024.

So far, he has played eight matches in his First Class career, smacking 479 runs in 11 innings at an average of 43.54. He has also hammered three centuries, including a highest score of 139 runs.

In List A cricket, he has mustered 445 runs in nine games at a stunning average of 55.62, with two tons and an equal number of half-centuries. In 12 T20 games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has scored 334 runs at an average of 30.36 with two fifties.

In his debut season of Ranji Trophy, he grabbed the limelight by smacking a century against Uttarakhand. He was Rajasthan’s top run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, hitting 445 runs in nine games.

Batting in the lower order, he is known for his aggressive batting style and high strike rate. His fearless batting approach has been appreciated by cricket legends like Ravichandran Ashwin and Kevin Pietersen in the past.

Who bought Kartik Sharma in the IPL 2026 auction?

Chennai Super Kings bought Kartik for INR 14.20 crore in the auction.

Kartik Sharma plays for which team in domestic cricket?

Kartik plays for Rajasthan in domestic cricket.

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Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.