Kartik rose to the occasion against LSG.
| Photo Credit: Sashi Shekhar Kashyap
Even as Chennai Super Kings was smarting from its seven-wicket loss to Lucknow Super Giants on Friday, there was a silver lining for the five-time IPL champion.
Kartik Sharma, who was picked for a staggering ₹14.20 crore, stood tall in an otherwise forgettable night for CSK, recording his highest score of 71 (42b, 6×4, 5×6).
The 20-year-old had a tough start to the season and was dropped after three games following scores of 18, one and six. However, since his comeback against Mumbai Indians last month, the youngster has steadily made valuable contributions, and he is the team’s third-highest run-scorer (244 runs) in the ongoing edition.
In the successful chases against MI and Delhi Capitals, he struck an unbeaten 54 and 41 not out respectively, providing good support to seniors Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson.
On a day when the established batters struggled against a good LSG pace attack on a tricky surface at the Ekana Stadium, Kartik produced his most impressive knock. His skipper, Ruturaj, even singled him out for praise.
The Rajasthan lad likes to take his time to settle in before playing his shots, and the situation on Friday demanded such an approach. After scoring only 29 off 26 balls, he seamlessly switched gears, hammering 42 off the next 16 deliveries.
While his teammates perished attempting the pull shot, Kartik made subtle adjustments to execute the same stroke effectively and sent a few over the ropes. And when the pacers went full, he unleashed his clean striking ability without half measures.
The innings answered some lingering questions about whether he could handle quality pace bowling and showed that he is making strides.
At a time when the likes of Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis are struggling to get going, Kartik has provided stability to the middle-order. Areas he will want to improve are reducing his dot-ball percentage and rotating the strike more regularly.
But if the rate of progress he has shown is any indication, CSK will feel confident that it has unearthed a gem who can serve the franchise with distinction in the years to come.
Published – May 16, 2026 07:14 pm IST
