Kartik’s ₹14.2 cr IPL auction buy showcases Rajasthan talent
In a mini auction, CSK acquired 19-year-old Kartik Sharma for ₹14.2 crore, highlighting his rising talent among uncapped Indian players.
MUMBAI: The mini auction is a big deal for uncapped Indian players and so it proved for some of the Rajasthan players in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Paddles started going up when Kartik Sharma’s name was announced, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked in a bidding war with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) till the ₹13 crore mark when KKR opted out. But Sunrisers Hyderabad jumped into the fray. However, CSK held on to buy the talented keeper-batter for ₹14.2 crore.
At every level the 19-year-old from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district has played, his reputation has preceded him. The money invested by CSK is also based on the reputation Kartik carries as one of the best young stroke players in the country.
That’s how the Rajasthan team’s senior coach Anshu Jain first came to know about Kartik. “Last to last year, when I became the Rajasthan Ranji coach, Kartik was in the U19 Rajasthan side. The administrators were telling me “a boy is coming up from U19 cricket scoring double and triple hundreds in no time, so you can check him for the Ranji side”,” recalled Jain, who was in Pune for the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy’s final leg.
“After that, I took feedback from the players and they said he was an exceptional talent. At that time we were thinking of taking him in the senior one-day side, but the batting order was so strong that there was no place for Kartik – we played the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy (2023).
“This year when I became the head coach and watched him in the nets, I was amazed how he picks the ball so early and dispatches it so quickly. It’s a rare thing. Definitely he is an exceptional talent and you will get to see in IPL,” said Jain.
It came as no surprise that CSK went so hard for him. Last season, he had also trained with the Chennai squad.
Speaking to the official broadcaster, Kartik said: “I am really excited to play with MS Dhoni. I will get to learn a lot from him. At one moment I felt I will go unsold. When I got picked, I couldn’t stop crying. I have no words to express how I am feeling.”
Jain said: “When the ball comes off Kartik’s blade, it travels a long distance. I was hundred percent sure that a lot of franchises will go after him,” said Jain.
Kartik’s numbers are impressive. In 12 T20s, he has amassed 334 runs at a strike rate of 164, hitting 28 sixes. He is doing equally well in red-ball cricket. In eight matches, he averages 43.54 (aggregate 479 runs) and has hit three hundreds with 24 sixes.
While Kartik, who picked up an injury during SMAT and was at home with his family, the Rajasthan team in Pune had plenty to celebrate. Their leg-spinner Rahul Chahar was also bought by CSK for ₹5.2 crore. Mukul Choudhary, another keeper-batter from Rajasthan, was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹2.6 crore and their fast bowling sensation, Ashok Sharma, by Gujarat Titans for ₹90 lakh.
“We just finished a tough match against Mumbai. In our team’s Whatsapp group jaise hi kisi player par bid ho raha hai toh share ho rahi hai news. The celebrations are on, everybody is very excited. Any player from our team gets a break, everyone is very happy,” said the coach.
The 21-year-old Choudhary has also been making waves. He smashed a 28-ball 54* against Mumbai on Tuesday, “Even Mukul has the same ability that Kartik has shown. Against Delhi (in SMAT) we needed 25 runs to win in the last over, he scored the runs (in an innings of 26-ball 62).
“He is a keeper-batter capable of smashing long hits. Even today’s match against Mumbai, on slow bouncers and bouncers, he hit sixes in front of the wicket. These are rare abilities. I was sure all these players will go for big amounts.”
