The upcoming mini auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a couple of weeks away. Several batters have shown their caliber with the bat and ball in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26, as the former Indian batter, Aakash Chopra, picks Karthik Sharma to be the most expensive uncapped player.

The Rajasthan wicket-keeper batter, Karthik Sharma, has overall smashed 298 runs in nine innings of the T20s at an average of 33.11 and a strike rate of 165.55, with the help of two half-centuries at the best score of 58. In the ongoing SMAT 2025/26, he drilled 97 runs in three innings at 32.33.

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“The batting has been overhauled because Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and Deepak Hooda have been released. Hooda has set the stage on fire for Rajasthan. However, will the team look back on him? I am not sure. Although it seems they don’t need batting considering the form of the top six, I feel they need batting because they have also released Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra.” Chopra expressed in his YouTube video.

Aakash Chopra predicts Rajasthan’s Karthik Sharma to be most expensive uncapped player

Along with Chopra, the former Indian spin all-rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin, also lauded Karthik’s wicket-keeping and batting skills. Chopra reckoned that there could be a bidding war for the 19-year-old between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

“I feel they will shop for batters. There is a boy named Kartik Sharma. He hits a lot of sixes. He can go to Kolkata as well, as he is a wicketkeeper-batter, and he can also come here. He won’t keep. He is a Rajasthan boy. He might be the highest-paid uncapped player in this auction. He might go to them. There is a strong possibility.” Chopra shed light in his video.

“He is young and baggage-free. He is a power hitter in the middle order. You can say that you can bank on his talent. It is easier to bat there, but for a youngster to come in and create impact in the middle order in T20 cricket is not easy.” Ashwin said in the YouTube video.