Kartik Sharma was bought by CSK for 14.2 Cr (Kartik Sharma Instagram)
CSK made Kartik Sharma the joint-most expensive uncapped player in the history of the IPL as they bought him for Rs. 14.2 Crore during the IPL 2026 auction. Chennai fended off interest from KKR and SRH in the end to secure the services of the 19-year-old from Rajasthan.
With his impeccable wicketkeeping skills and his lower-order batting, Kartik has drawn comparisons to MS Dhoni with many feeling that CSK are building towards a new era past the Indian legend.
It was MI who started the bidding for Kartik Sharma before KKR joined in. LSG also quickly came in and pushed the bid well past the Rs. 5 Crore mark. CSK then jumped in, and they went at it with KKR and weren't ready to lose it.
As it seemed like CSK were getting their man, SRH came in and pushed it close to the 14.2 crore mark, the money that CSK paid for Prashant Veer earlier in the auction.