Bharatpur, Dec 17 Kartik Sharma made history in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction on Tuesday after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roped him in for Rs. 14.20 crore, making him the joint-costliest uncapped player, alongside Prashant Veer, acquired by the same franchise, in the tournament’s history. As soon as Kartik’s record bid concluded, celebrations erupted across the city as the news brought joy and pride.
At Laxman Mandir Chauraha, District Cricket Association officials and cricket fans commemorated the historic event by bursting firecrackers and sharing sweets. Kartik and his father, Manoj Sharma, were also congratulated through a video call.
District Cricket Association Secretary Shatrughan Tiwari told IANS, “Bharatpur’s Kartik Sharma has achieved something remarkable. His rise from poverty to now, bagging a cheque worth Rs. 14.20 crore, will motivate many talented players.”
He mentioned that Kartik’s father sacrificed everything he could for his son’s cricket career. Manoj, a medium pace bowler himself, couldn’t build a cricketing career for himself as his injury had the final say. However, he hoped his son would pursue that dream and took every possible measure to ensure their financial instability did not affect his son’s career.
Kartik has also received the Mathura Das Mathur Award. His father, committed to his cricket dreams, sold his shops and borrowed several lakhs to support his kid. The pathway led to Kartik and his family shifting their base to Agra, as he joined the academy headed by Lokendra Singh Chahar, India cricketer Deepak Chahar’s father.
Tiwari mentioned that Kartik had been involved with the District Cricket Association since he was a child. He performed exceptionally well at all levels—Under-14, Under-16, Under-19, senior cricket, and the Ranji Trophy. His showing in the IPL trials also gained admiration from all.
He also mentioned that Kartik has excellent potential to hit the ball big, beyond the boundary. Given his performance, it was anticipated he would attract a bid of ₹6–7 crore, but the ₹14.20 crore offer caught everyone off guard.
The young keeper-batter will now be seen donning the yellow jersey and representing five-time champions CSK at the IPL 2026, in a bid to build a bigger and better career for himself.
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