Who are Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma? CSK back the young duo with ₹14.2 crore bids at IPL 2026 Auction.
It was very uncharacteristic of the Chennai Super Kings to splurge on uncapped players. A franchise long known for valuing experience in the shortest format has now been compelled to invest heavily in youngsters. Moreover, last season’s disastrous campaign – ending with the wooden spoon – has clearly sounded alarm bells within the team.
Chennai appeared unusually subdued at the auction table, opting for players who did not necessarily suit the conditions. Entering the auction, they were already without the services of their long-time stalwart and spin-all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, which prompted the franchise to pursue Prashant Veer as a replacement. Meanwhile, they have also secured a backup wicketkeeping option in Sanju Samson at the top of the order.
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CSK hope to find Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement in Prashant Veer
Prashant Veer was initially identified when he played for the Noida Super Kings in the UP T20 League. The 20-year-old has improved his bodywork in the current Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025. Even before the auction, Chennai kept an eye on his progress and finally signed him for a massive price of INR 14.20 crore.
The five-time champions joined the bidding war from INR 1.30 crore and extended it to INR 4.20 with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). After a brief appearance of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Chennai’s intense bidding battle happened with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Later, CSK’s head coach, Stephen Flemming, expressed his satisfaction with the new signing.
“Prashant Veer, given that we needed that kind of skillset with trading Jadeja for Sanju and we identified him as a good talent going forward and filling that spot for us, doing that skillset. As the game has evolved, we might have been a little bit slow to evolve with it. Only halfway through the tournament (IPL 2025), we had a big shift.” Flemming said in the press conference during the auction.
In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), he has scored 112 runs at a strike rate of 170, while also claiming nine wickets at an economy rate of 6.76. Those all-round returns give the Whistle Podu side a genuine selection dilemma, allowing them to weigh up a tactical choice between Veer and Akeal Hossein.
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CSK find dynamic power-hitter in Kartik Sharma as backup wicket-keeper
Kartik Sharma is known for his power of dealing in massive sixes. At the age of just 19, he was signed up by JSW, which manages several top athletes like Neeraj Chopra. That’s just a part of how talented he has been. In just 12 T20s, he has amassed 334 runs at a strike rate of 164, with 28 over boundaries.
Kartik found Lucknow and Kolkata Knight Riders battling for his services till INR 3 crore when Chennai joined the war. After beating the Knight Riders at INR 13 crore, they didn’t let Kartik go away to Hyderabad and completed the successful signing at INR 14.20 crore.
“Kartik Sharma, we had him last year, and he did some trialling with us. We’ve been watching Kartik for some time, and I’ll go back to the scouting and the work that’s been done in a lot of tournaments. Sometimes you can hang on to theories and philosophies because of past success.” Fleming echoed their firm planning around Kartik.
Last season, when Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined through injury, Chennai sorely missed a reliable young option in the XI. Shaik Rasheed and Rachin Ravindra struggled to make a significant impact, but the arrival of Urvil Patel and Dewald Brevis brought much-needed energy into the side. Similar expectations now surround Kartik, who could serve as a backup to Sanju Samson at the top of the order.
Under the guidance of MS Dhoni, he is expected to grow steadily, refining his power-hitting and developing the ability to clear the ropes consistently. With the time seemingly right for CSK to transition towards a younger core, the franchise appears to have taken a step in the right direction.
