March 7, 2026

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Kartik Sharma’s Rise from Small-Town Nets to MS Dhoni’s IPL Dressing RoomVaishnavi Saharkar | December 17, 2025

Kartik Sharma earned his ₹14.20 crore IPL contract after nearly a decade of sustained effort, financial struggle, and unwavering family support. The young wicketkeeper-batter carved his path from makeshift practice nets in a small town to Chennai Super Kings’ dressing room, where he now plays under MS Dhoni’s leadership. His journey closely mirrors his father Manoj Sharma’s unfulfilled cricketing dream, which ended prematurely due to injury and later found direction through Kartik’s rise.

Family Support Shaped His Early Growth

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Manoj Sharma invested heavily in Kartik’s cricketing development, draining savings, selling family assets, borrowing money, and taking up additional work to fund training. The family purchased land to install practice nets and a bowling machine, building a home-based training facility that they later sold to manage expenses. When sabotage disrupted Kartik’s progress—through stolen equipment and damaged nets—the family responded by relocating him to safer, professionally managed coaching environments rather than stepping away from the sport.

Coaching, Setbacks, and the IPL Breakthrough

Under coach Lokendra Singh Chahar, Kartik progressed through several cricket academies while tutoring students to support his training costs. Injury setbacks, including a finger issue, temporarily slowed his momentum, but he recovered in time to seize his IPL opportunity. Now part of Chennai Super Kings, Kartik faces the demands of elite-level cricket, where fitness, adaptability, and consistency define success. His rise highlights how persistence, structured coaching, and family belief can transform small-town talent into an IPL professional.

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