Kartik Sharma: Rajasthan and IPL 2026 Record

Who is Kartik Sharma?

Kartik Sharma is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan who entered the IPL with Chennai Super Kings in 2026. He was born in Bharatpur and moved from age-group cricket into Rajasthan's senior first-class, T20 and one-day teams during the 2025-26 domestic season. The official IPL profile identifies Bharatpur as his home and wicketkeeping batting as his role. He does not have a senior India cap as of the checked date.

Kartik Sharma is a common name across Indian sport and cricket databases, so the exact player is fixed by four details: his 26 April 2006 birth date, wicketkeeper-batter role, Rajasthan association and IPL player ID 23012. Those identifiers connect his Rajasthan scorecards and Chennai appearances without mixing him with similarly named players.

Kartik Sharma age, birthplace and playing role

Sharma was born on 26 April 2006 and was 20 on 22 August 2026. The IPL profile identifies him as a player from Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Secondary statistical profiles carry the same birth date and wicketkeeper-batter classification, providing a cross-check around the exact player. His batting is right-handed, and current scorecards do not classify him as a regular bowler.

He should not be confused with Karn Sharma, Himanshu Sharma, Kartik Tyagi or other similarly named players. Chennai's 2026 squad and Rajasthan's 2025-26 domestic record use the birth date and playing role that match IPL player ID 23012. That disambiguation is important because an emerging player has fewer distinctive senior records than a long-established international.

Rajasthan age-group and senior pathway

Sharma developed through Rajasthan cricket before making his first-class debut against Uttarakhand in November 2024. He scored 113 in that first innings and shared a 177-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mahipal Lomror, whose unbeaten 300 helped Rajasthan take a first-innings lead in a drawn match. Sharma then moved into Rajasthan's senior T20 and one-day teams during the same 2024-25 domestic season.

The IPL auction followed performances across recognised BCCI competitions rather than one isolated innings. Rajasthan used him in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy before the 2026 league season. Each format creates its own record: first-class and List A runs cannot be added to one another, and neither belongs inside his IPL total.

Three first-class hundreds across two Ranji seasons

Sharma began with 113 on first-class debut against Uttarakhand in November 2024. During the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy he added 139 against Mumbai and 120 against Delhi. The BCCI match centres fix the later opponents and dates, while the current aggregate confirms that those three innings account for his three first-class hundreds.

At the 23 August 2026 cutoff, Sharma had played eight first-class matches and batted 11 times, scoring 479 runs at an average of 43.54 and strike rate of 79.04. His high score was 139 and he had no fifties alongside the three hundreds. The earlier four-match, 242-run snapshot described only his opening season and is no longer a complete career total.

White-ball form before the IPL auction

Sharma represented Rajasthan in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and scored 445 runs from eight innings in nine matches. His average was 55.62 and strike rate 118.04, with two hundreds, two fifties and a high score of 123. Rajasthan Royals' season review identified him as Rajasthan's leading run-scorer in the tournament.

The campaign included 100 from 69 balls in a one-wicket chase of 346 against Railways and 62 in the quarter-final defeat to Vidarbha. Those match outcomes give the aggregate context: one century helped complete a difficult chase, while the later fifty could not prevent elimination. The 445 List A runs, 479 first-class runs and 295 IPL runs remain separate records.

₹14.2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction

Chennai Super Kings bought Sharma for ₹14.2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction. The official auction page identifies him and Prashant Veer as the joint-most expensive uncapped players in IPL auction history. The price turned a player with one senior domestic season into one of the auction's largest Indian signings.

An auction price does not guarantee a place in every match or future India selection. It records what Chennai committed under the league's player-acquisition system for that season. The ₹14.2 crore amount is therefore a 2026 auction price, while appearances and runs must come from match records.

Kartik Sharma's IPL debut

Sharma made his IPL debut for Chennai against Rajasthan Royals on 30 March 2026. He scored 18 from 15 balls. The opponent connected his new franchise role with the state team through which he had reached senior cricket, but the match itself belongs only to his IPL record. An official IPL dismissal video and current player profile confirm the appearance.

Early innings gave Chennai a way to use him as a batter or Impact Player while MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson provided experienced wicketkeeping options. His first-season role was therefore not limited to taking the gloves. Match reports frequently describe his batting partnerships and Impact Player use. A future squad may change that balance, so the current profile states what happened in 2026 rather than declaring a permanent role.

Supporting Sanju Samson against Mumbai

Against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on 23 April, Sharma scored 18 while Sanju Samson made 101 not out. Chennai had slipped to 122 for four before the partnership steadied the innings. The official match report credits Samson's hundred as the central performance and identifies Sharma as his partner during the recovery.

The score itself was modest, but the match gives context to Sharma's early middle-order usage. He was asked to support a set senior batter after wickets rather than open the innings. Chennai won by 103 runs after reaching 207 for six. Sharma's contribution should not be upgraded into a match-winning fifty, yet it belongs in the sequence leading to his later larger scores.

Maiden IPL fifty against Mumbai Indians

Sharma made his first IPL fifty in Chennai's home match against Mumbai on 2 May 2026. The official report says he joined Ruturaj Gaikwad in the chase, attacked the spinners and reached the milestone in the 18th over. He then hit the winning boundary as Chennai completed an eight-wicket victory with 11 balls remaining.

The innings supplied his first clear league milestone and came in a successful chase. It should be separated from the earlier Mumbai match in which Samson made the hundred. Chennai played Mumbai twice in the season, and Sharma contributed in both fixtures. Stable match dates, venue context and opponent links prevent those performances from being merged accidentally.

Unbeaten 41 in the Delhi chase

Three days later, Sharma made an unbeaten 41 from 31 balls against Delhi Capitals. He and Samson added an unbroken 114 for the third wicket after Chennai reached 45 for two. Samson finished on 87 not out, while Sharma hit the boundary that completed the eight-wicket win at 159 for two in 17.3 overs.

The innings did not produce a personal fifty, but it showed a different task from his boundary-led Mumbai knock. Sharma maintained the chase beside a senior batter and stayed to the finish. The IPL also published a dedicated highlight video for the 41. Match report and video agree on the unbeaten score, making it a strong source-backed achievement despite the absence of an award.

Second IPL fifty and 71 against Lucknow

Sharma scored 71 from 42 balls against Lucknow Super Giants on 15 May 2026. Chennai had fallen to 52 for three when he and Dewald Brevis added 70 for the fourth wicket. Sharma hit six fours and five sixes and completed his second IPL fifty. Shivam Dube then helped Chennai reach 187 for five.

Lucknow chased the target in 16.4 overs and won by seven wickets after Mitchell Marsh made 90. Sharma's 71 was therefore a recovery innings in a defeat, not a match-winning score. The distinction protects the result link while still recognising his personal high point. A player profile should explain both what the batter achieved and whether the team converted it into a win.

Late-season 32 against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sharma made 32 from 19 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 18 May 2026. The official IPL report describes Chennai at 100 for four after his dismissal, and the league published a dedicated innings video. This score added another fast middle-order contribution late in the league stage.

One highlight does not establish a complete season total. Current season databases agree on 295 runs from 11 innings, two fifties, an average of 32.78 and a strike rate of 136.57. The official IPL profile confirms 11 appearances, while official match reports and videos support the major individual innings.

How Kartik Sharma's 295 IPL runs were built

Sharma's listed IPL 2026 innings include 18 on debut against Rajasthan, 18 in the first Mumbai meeting, 54 in the return match, 41 not out against Delhi, 20 against Lucknow in Chennai, 71 in the away fixture, 32 against Hyderabad and 19 against Gujarat. Together with his other three innings, the season databases total 295 runs from 216 balls.

The 54 and 71 account for his two fifties, while the unbeaten Delhi chase helps explain how 295 runs from 11 innings produced an average of 32.78 rather than a simple runs-per-innings figure. His 24 fours and 16 sixes produce a strike rate of 136.57. These totals describe his completed first IPL season, not his Rajasthan domestic record.

The season also shows why individual highlights and aggregate tables serve different purposes. Match reports explain the situation around the 54, 41 not out and 71, while the completed table measures output across every appearance. Reading both avoids judging the season from only the auction price or one innings, and preserves the difference between team results and individual batting milestones.

What Kartik Sharma's early senior record shows

Sharma's early senior record connects three first-class hundreds, a 445-run Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign and a first IPL season containing two fifties. Chennai used him in partnerships with Gaikwad, Samson and Brevis, giving him both chase and recovery assignments. The ₹14.2 crore auction result brought attention, but the match record provides the evidence needed to judge his first two domestic seasons and first IPL campaign.

The current snapshot records 20 years of age, Rajasthan and Chennai memberships, 479 first-class runs, 445 List A runs and 295 IPL runs. He does not have a senior India cap. The record is clearest when first-class, List A and IPL samples remain separated and dated.