Kartik Sharma: The ₹14.20 Crore CSK Wicketkeeper Who Scored Centuries on Debut in Every Format

There are players who make an impression, and then there are players who announce themselves. Kartik Sharma belongs firmly in the second category. At 19 years old, the Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter has already scored centuries on debut in both Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, hit 28 sixes in just 12 T20 matches, trained at the same academy as Deepak Chahar, and earned the tag of the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history after Chennai Super Kings paid ₹14.20 crore for his services at the December 2025 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.

And he only took up wicketkeeping four years ago.

Early Life: Street Cricket, a Father’s Sacrifice, and Deepak Chahar’s Academy

Kartik Sharma was born on 26 April 2006 in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, into a family where cricket ran deep but resources did not. His father, Manoj Sharma (also referred to as Manoj Kumar), was an aspiring cricketer himself whose career was cut short by injury. Rather than let that disappointment fester, Manoj channeled everything into his son — at times literally sacrificing the family’s financial stability in pursuit of Kartik’s cricketing dreams.

The family sold farmland and jewellery to fund cricket tours. There were periods, by multiple accounts, when hunger was a companion on some of those trips. His mother, Radha, works as an anganwadi worker and provided the emotional backbone of the household while Manoj focused on Kartik’s development.

Kartik began playing cricket on the streets at around the age of four or five, with his father pitching balls to him. When it became clear the boy was serious, Manoj took him to an academy — specifically the one run by Lokendra Singh Chahar, father of Indian cricketer Deepak Chahar, in Agra. That decision proved transformative. It was at this academy that Kartik’s clean hitting and natural power were refined, and where — on the suggestion of none other than Deepak Chahar — he took up wicketkeeping, roughly four years ago.

Kartik revealed in an interview with Game Changers: “I don’t idolize anyone. I just used to watch my dad play earlier. It was my dad who started this. I was around four or five years old when my father got me started in cricket. Then I joined Deepak bhaiya’s academy, which belongs to Deepak Chahar’s father.”

Age-Group Cricket: Building a Foundation

Before the senior circuit, Kartik worked his way steadily through Rajasthan’s age-group structure. He began with Under-14 cricket before graduating to Under-16 and then Under-19. At each level, his aggressive batting style and ability to clear the fence attracted attention. His consistency at the U-19 level, in particular, generated growing buzz among Rajasthan selectors and eventually among IPL scouts attending domestic tournaments.

He attended trials for an extraordinary six IPL franchises before the auction — SRH, Mumbai Indians, CSK, RCB, Rajasthan Royals, and Delhi Capitals. That level of interest from across the board tells its own story about how widely regarded he was before a single senior IPL match had been played.

Ranji Trophy Debut: Century on First Innings

Kartik Sharma made his first-class debut for Rajasthan in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy against Uttarakhand. Batting in the middle order, the 18-year-old announced his arrival in extraordinary fashion by hitting 113 off 115 balls — a debut century that included 11 fours and six sixes. It made him one of only a handful of Indian men to score a century on first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy.

By the time of the IPL auction, he had played eight first-class matches, accumulating 479 runs at an impressive average of 43.54. His tally included three centuries, with a highest score of 139.

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Century on List A Debut

The firsts kept coming. Kartik made his List A debut for Rajasthan against Maharashtra in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and promptly smashed 123 off 90 balls, including seven fours and eleven sixes. He became only the third Indian man to score centuries on both his first-class and List A debuts — a remarkable and rare achievement that immediately elevated him to a different tier of prospect entirely.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy overall, he emerged as Rajasthan’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 445 runs in nine matches at an average of 55.62 and a strike rate of 118.03. He contributed two fifties and two centuries, with that debut 123 being the highest score.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26

The SMAT, India’s premier domestic T20 tournament, is where IPL scouts pay closest attention, and Kartik did not disappoint. In five innings for Rajasthan, he scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 160.24. His best performance was a 46 off 31 balls against Karnataka, where he took on quality spinners including Sai Kishore and Shreyas Gopal. His 28 sixes across 12 T20 matches heading into the auction made him one of the most feared hitters in domestic T20 cricket.

JSW Sports and the Management Angle

One further indicator of Kartik Sharma’s rising stock: he was signed by JSW Sports as a talent to manage and develop, placing him in the company of athletes like Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra. Being backed by one of India’s most prestigious sports management outfits before your first IPL match speaks to the seriousness with which the cricketing world was taking his prospects.

The IPL 2026 Auction: A Wild Bidding War

If the bidding for Prashant Veer was fierce, the battle for Kartik Sharma was no less dramatic. He entered at his base price of ₹30 lakh. Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians all showed initial interest before pulling out. Then Sunrisers Hyderabad — having already been beaten on Prashant Veer — made a late surge. CSK held firm, eventually securing Kartik at ₹14.20 crore, matching the record set by Veer just minutes earlier.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged the franchise had been tracking Kartik for an extended period. In multiple pre-auction pieces, CSK management indicated they viewed him as a potential long-term successor in the lineup — a finisher, a set-up player, or even a middle-order anchor depending on the situation.

CSK now boasts three wicketkeepers in their squad: MS Dhoni (who continues to play), Sanju Samson (who joined CSK via trade), and Kartik Sharma. That depth signals the franchise’s intent to plan across multiple batting scenarios and to begin developing Kartik as a long-term option behind the stumps.

Playing Style

Kartik is fundamentally a power-hitter’s power-hitter. His key strengths:

• Six-hitting machine: 28 sixes in 12 T20 matches represents one of the best ratios in domestic cricket
• Wicketkeeping: Solid glove work despite being a relative newcomer to the position
• Big-match temperament: Centuries on debut in two different formats is not a coincidence — it speaks to composure that senior players work years to develop
• Attacking middle-order role: Best suited batting between positions 4-7 where he can use the pace of the ball and attack from the first delivery

Career Statistics at a Glance

What to Expect in IPL 2026

In a CSK squad that also includes Sanju Samson and the ever-present MS Dhoni, Kartik Sharma is unlikely to walk straight into the starting XI. However, the franchise’s record of nurturing young batters — and the price they paid — suggests he will get genuine playing time when opportunities arise. His role, initially, is likely to be that of a middle-order floater who can come in and attack from any position.

The comparison that keeps coming up is with MS Dhoni himself — a wicketkeeper-batter who bats at the death and finishes games with authority. Kartik would be the first to laugh at such comparisons, but his ability to consistently clear the ropes under pressure makes the comparison less absurd than it sounds.

Further Reading

• Prashant Veer: His Record-Sharing CSK Teammate and the Next Jadeja
• Auqib Nabi: How J&K’s Ranji Hero Landed at Delhi Capitals
• Ayush Mhatre: CSK’s Other Young Star Going into 2026
• Full IPL 2026 Debutants Guide

Sources: Cricket Times | Sportskeeda | Desh Crux | Cricket Bureau | CricTracker