Kartik Sharma (left) and Prashant Veer (Right)/ Photo Credit: Facebook and x/@upt20)
Chennai Super Kings splurged a record-breaking ₹28.4 crore for uncapped Uttar Pradesh spinner Prashant Veer and wicketkeeper batter Kartik Sharma, both going for ₹14.2 crore each.
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Veer, 20-year-old, has featured in just nine T20 games for Uttar Pradesh in his young career. But as an accurate left-arm spinner and big-hitting left-hand batter, he had done his bit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season to garner the interest of Chennai Super Kings in particular. Given that CSK has parted ways with Ravindra Jadeja, the franchise’s keenness to rope in a youngster in Jadeja’s mould was expected.
Besides taking nine wickets in seven matches while conceding just 6.76 runs per over in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Veer also smashed 112 runs at a strike rate of nearly 170. Veer, from Amethi, had also shown spark for Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League.
In a matter of minutes, the 19-year-old from Rajasthan, Kartik Sharma, joined Veer in becoming the most expensive uncapped buys at an IPL auction. The wicketkeeper-batter may be wet behind the ears, but his clean striking had been catching the attention of IPL franchises going into the auction. He made his senior debut for Rajasthan in all three formats last season and has already cracked hundreds in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – the domestic T20 competition – he has scored 334 runs so far at a strike rate of 162.92. As many as 168 of these runs have come in sixes, illustrating his ability to clear the boundary at will.
Published – December 16, 2025 05:47 pm IST
