Who is Kartik Sharma? 5 interesting facts about uncapped wicket-keeper likely to be in heavy demand in IPL 2026 auction

Uncapped Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma is set to be in the spotlight as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 in Abu Dhabi, draws closer. Placed in Set 8, the 19-year-old has registered a base price of ₹30 lakh.

Kartik is currently representing Rajasthan in the ongoing 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). In five innings, he has scored 133 runs at an average of 26.60 and a strike rate of 160.24, with his best effort being a 46 off 31 balls against Karnataka.

Still at a very early stage of his career, the right-handed batter has already built a strong reputation for his six-hitting ability, earning praise from former international stars such as Kevin Pietersen and Ravichandran Ashwin. With the IPL 2026 auction approaching, here are five interesting facts about Kartik Sharma, the wicketkeeper-batter who could be in heavy demand.

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#1 Kartik Sharma scored a hundred on his Ranji Trophy debut

Kartik Sharma made his first-class debut for Rajasthan in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand. Batting in the middle order, the right-handed batter announced his arrival in style by scoring a century in his debut innings, hammering 113 off 115 balls, which included 11 fours and six sixes.

Since then, he has featured in eight first-class matches, accumulating 479 runs at an impressive average of 43.54 and a strike rate of 79.04. His tally includes three centuries, with a highest score of 139.

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#2 Registered a century on his List-A debut

Just like in first-class cricket, Kartik Sharma made an instant impact in List A cricket by scoring a century on his debut. He played his first match against Maharashtra in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and smashed 123 off 90 balls, including seven fours and 11 sixes, helping Rajasthan post a total of 215.

However, his efforts went in vain as Maharashtra chased down the target with three wickets to spare, thanks to Ankit Bawne’s unbeaten 74 off 95 balls, which featured 10 fours.

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#3 Leading run-getter for Rajasthan in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy

During the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Rajasthan’s campaign ended in a quarter-final defeat against Vidarbha. In this tournament, Kartik Sharma emerged as the team’s leading run-scorer.

He featured in nine matches, scoring 445 runs in eight innings at an average of 55.62 and a strike rate of 118.03, including two fifties and two centuries, with a highest score of 123.

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#4 Inspired by his father, trained at Deepak Chahar’s father’s academy

The 19-year-old revealed that he got into cricket by watching his father and doesn’t idolize anyone. Kartik Sharma said he began playing around the age of four or five and later joined the academy run by Deepak Chahar’s father. In an interview with Game Changers, he shared:

“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. I started practicing there.”

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#5 Attended trials for six IPL teams and supports RCB

In his interview with Game Changers, Kartik Sharma also revealed that he has attended trials for six IPL teams and is a supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He said:

“I attended trials for six franchises including Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Chennai, RCB, RR and Delhi. I support RCB.”

In T20s, the youngster has featured in 12 matches, scoring 334 runs at an average of 30.36 and a strike rate of 162.92, including two fifties.