For nearly fifteen years, Manoj Sharma built his life around a single goal: turning his son into a professional cricketer. On Tuesday night in Abu Dhabi, that long gamble finally paid off when the Chennai Super Kings stunned the IPL auction table by signing 19-year-old Kartik Sharma for ₹14.2 crore.
The aggressive wicketkeeper-batter from Bharatpur became one of the biggest stories of the mini-auction, with franchises locked in a fierce bidding war before Chennai Super Kings made the final call. The amount was more than 47 times Kartik’s base price of ₹30 lakh and instantly transformed his life.
While celebrations followed the announcement, Kartik’s thoughts were firmly rooted back home. The young cricketer said the first thing he wanted to do was help his father clear the debts the family had taken on to support his cricketing journey. Local cricket officials estimate those loans to be around ₹27–28 lakh, accumulated over years of training, travel, and equipment.
“Playing for CSK feels unreal,” Kartik said shortly after the auction. “I’m grateful to my father for sacrificing everything. He left his job and trained me every single day. Whatever I am today is because of him.”
Manoj Sharma, once a school teacher who also ran private tuitions, stepped away from steady income to focus entirely on his son’s development. He bowled for hours during practice sessions, travelled long distances for matches, and leaned heavily on the support of local cricket administrators. The financial strain grew over time, forcing Kartik’s mother to take up work at an Anganwadi center to keep the household running.
Kartik’s early training began when he was just five years old, travelling from Bharatpur to Agra to train at an academy run by Lokandersingh Chahar, father of India pacer Deepak Chahar. Coaches recall that Kartik’s power-hitting ability stood out from a very young age.
“He wanted to hit big sixes, and he could do that even as a child,” Chahar’s father recalled. “The talent was obvious.”
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The breakthrough came during the 2024–25 Under-19 season. Kartik dominated the Vinoo Mankad and Cooch Behar Trophy tournaments, scoring heavily across formats. As captain of Rajasthan’s Under-19 side, he amassed 492 runs in the one-day competition, including a commanding double century. His consistent performances soon earned him a place in the senior setup.
Now, with an IPL contract secured and a future firmly in sight, Kartik’s story stands as one of the auction’s most emotional moments. From dusty academy pitches to the biggest stage in Indian cricket, the Bharatpur teenager has not just earned a place in the league, but also a chance to rewrite his family’s destiny.
