CSK-recruit Kartik Sharma's 14.2 crore signing helps father pay off debts who left his job to support son

Rajasthan's Kartik Sharma had a dream-come-true moment in his young career, as the cricketer was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping sum of INR 14.2 crore, making him the joint-most expensive uncapped player in the IPL history. CSK acquired the services of the rising star at the IPL 2026 mini-auction, held in Abu Dhabi on December 16.

Right after the historic bid, Kartik's father Manoj Sharma said that he will be able to pay off all the loans he took to nurture the young talent of his son. The father further said that their family is grateful for the immense support they received from several people, who were able to identify Kartik's potential at a tender age. He further thinks it will be enough to pay off the debts worth 27–28 lakh they have taken so far.

“We are thankful to Bharatpur DCA secretary and Lokandersingh Chahar (father of India seamer Deepak Chahar) for their support. Yes, we are under debt, but hopefully we will soon be in a position to pay it off,” Manoj Sharma was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Additionally, Kartik himself was extremely elated to have found a spot in the CSK's dressing room to embark on his journey in the Indian Premier League. He revealed how his father was constantly backing him and accompanied him to the academy for training and also gave the wicketkeeper-batter throwdowns in the nets.

“To play for CSK is a dream come true. I am both excited and nervous. I want to thank my father, for he gave up his job and trained me day in and day out to make me the player I am today. My father would be by my side while I practiced. Every day he and I would go to the academy for training, where he bowled to me for hours,” Kartik expressed.

CSK Squad for IPL 2026: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zak Foulkes.