CSK Bags 'Sixer Boss' Karthik Sharma for 14.2 Crore; Outbids KKR for 19-Year-Old Prodigy

• Chennai Super Kings acquired 19-year-old uncapped cricketer Karthik Sharma for a staggering 14.20 crore in the 2026 IPL auction.
• Karthik, an explosive right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, became the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history, matching Prashant Veer.
• Known as the 'Sixer Boss', he is praised for his power-hitting and ability to finish games, often hitting more sixes than fours.
• He boasts a T20 strike rate of 164 with 28 sixes in 12 matches and has been lauded by veterans like Kevin Pietersen and Ravichandran Ashwin.
• KKR fiercely competed, bidding up to 12.80 crore, but CSK ultimately secured the Rajasthan prodigy whose base price was 30 lakh.

Why It Matters: Karthik Sharma's 14.2 crore IPL deal highlights the immense value of young, uncapped power-hitters.