When Kartik Sharma reached his fifty against Mumbai Indians on Saturday, May 2, there was a visible release — a weight finally lifted off his shoulders. Bought for Rs. 14.2 crore after being pursued by five teams, expectations were sky-high. But the returns hadn’t matched the hype. Just 58 runs from five matches isn’t what you expect from a big-money signing.
CSK vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Yet, the Chennai Super Kings management didn’t waver. They doubled down on their belief in the youngster and handed him a role that demanded both composure and courage. Against Mumbai, he was asked to walk in at No. 4, steady the innings, and guide the chase alongside the captain.
The trust ran deeper — he was picked as the impact player ahead of the more experienced Sarfaraz Khan.
What followed wasn’t fireworks or a highlight-reel blitz. Instead, it was something far more valuable — a composed, no-frills 54 off 40 balls that quietly did the job. Well, maybe not entirely without flair, considering the Dhoni-esque celebration at the end.
But more importantly, it was the innings that introduced the world to the real Kartik — the player CSK had backed all along. And finally, that faith began to pay off.
“Today was the perfect platform on a difficult wicket where they knew that the spinner was going to operate in the middle over phase, and they wanted one Indian player to bat with Ruturaj, and he came, and he took that responsibility really well, and so happy for him because he was not getting runs, and people are talking so highly about him. Finally, that trust has paid off for CSK,” said Piyush Chawla after the game to JioStar.
The praise didn’t stop there. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also lauded the knock, calling it a reward for Kartik’s temperament through a challenging start to the season.
“You have the young players, there’s two parts to it,” said Fleming. “One is how you introduce them. It is a big stage no matter what they’ve been doing at domestic level. So understanding their mentality is really important and it is a big step-up. They can have all the talent in the world but the temperament is what we’re looking for, and his [Kartik’s] introduction was tough at the start and then he had a little bit of time out. He worked hard and today was a good reward for that,” said Fleming.
Fleming made it clear that this is only the beginning of Kartik’s IPL journey, and that the signs are promising.
“He’s a fine player and he was expensive in the auction because others see that [value] as well and tonight it was good to see the temperament as well as the skill on show and he will just get better and better. So it’s a nice spot [No. 4] for him and the timing was right. So we’re really pleased and proud of what he did today,” said Fleming.
THE DHONI EFFECT
On his IPL debut, Kartik was thrown into a phase of play that felt more like Test cricket than T20s. Batting at No. 6, he scored 18 off 15 balls against Rajasthan Royals, and after low returns against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he found himself out of the side.
But Saturday against MI was different. It was a glimpse of his full range, particularly against spin. He charged at mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar and launched him over midwicket for six, before sealing CSK’s chase of 160 with a stunning reverse-scoop off Trent Boult.
Moments like these don’t come without guidance. And for Kartik, there’s no better mentor than MS Dhoni.
Fleming emphasised how learning from Dhoni — especially on handling pressure on the biggest stage — is invaluable for young players trying to find their feet in the IPL.
“The mental aspect is really important,” Fleming said. “You’re sending players out into an absolute cauldron like tonight with 35,000 to 50,000 to 100,000 people. The mental aspect of staying calm and understanding what the mind and body are doing is reasonably untapped in this competition. We have had one of the best in MS Dhoni, who has been as calm as anyone can be in winning games. So learning from him but also understanding a little bit more of the science around it.”
“So we run a young players’ programme where we introduce them to certain mental skills and breathing and aspects that might help them to perform. Because they’re very good at hitting balls in the nets, but understanding nerves and anxiety and fear of failure is also equally important, especially if you have a price tag on your head,” said Fleming.
Kartik is still far from the finished product, but this was the first real glimpse of what he can offer — and it was refreshing.
As the season progresses and the stakes get higher, expect CSK to lean on him more. And if this innings was anything to go by, Kartik Sharma might just be warming up.
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