Why Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma fetched record bids at IPL 2026 auction

Soham Mukherjee

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Why Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma fetched record bids at IPL 2026 auction image

The Indian Premier League auction is known for springing surprises, and it did not disappoint on Tuesday as uncapped talents Prahsant Veer and Karthik Sharma fetched record bids.

While five-time champions Chennai Super Kings had been conservative in the first half of the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, they decided to loosen the purse strings when uncapped Indian players came under the hammer. After splurging Rs. 14.2 crore on all-rounder Prahsant Veer, they made a successful bid for Karthik Sharma for the same amount. 

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It remains the highest price tag for uncapped players in IPL auction history.

CSK, known for their icon buys and staying with stalwarts like MS Dhoni, have slightly changed strategy to invest in Indian youth. The Kings finished last in the table at IPL 2025 and may be looking for a different approach this year.

Who is Prashant Veer?

A left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, Prashant Veer is being looked at as potential replacement for Ravindra Jadeja. 

The 20-year-old has represented Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League and featured for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Veer scored 112 runs at a strike rate of 170 and bagged nine wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"We needed that kind of skillset, after trading Jadeja for Sanju (Samson)," said CSK head coach Stephen Fleming. Veer was invited to the CSK academy ahead of the auctions.

Who is Kartik Sharma?

Kartik Sharma is no stranger to CSK either. The middle-order bat has trained with the Kings last season and was also part of some academy games.

The 19-year-old from Rajasthan is known in the cricketing circles for his big hitting, and even gained attention from the likes of Kevin Pietersen. Though he will be making his debut in IPL, Sharma has played 12 T20 matches in his young career and scored at a rate higher than 160.

CSK would be looking at him as the finisher.

With the historic bids, the former champions have shown that they can evolve with the changing times. They have put faith in young, Indian players rather than experience and star power alone to take the team forward.

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Editorial Team