One of the two young players who made a mark in the IPL auctions this time is Karthik Sharma. From a base price of ₹30 lakh, he joined Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 crore. How he trains himself under Mahendra Singh Dhoni at CSK will be a major point of attraction. However, while there is much discussion about his price in the auction, there isn't much talk about his rise or struggle. How did Karthik Sharma begin?
Karthik Sharma's humble beginnings
After Karthik's price in the IPL auction rose exorbitantly, his father Manoj Sharma shared stories of past struggles. In an interview with IANS, he said, "Our income was limited, but my wife Radha and I dreamed of making Karthik a cricketer." But becoming a cricketer isn't cheap. A glove costs more than two thousand rupees. Along with that, there are ancillary expenses.
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They didn't have the income needed to bear these expenses. So Karthik's parents decided to sell their village land in Bahnera village, Rajasthan. Even after that, the money wasn't enough. Karthik's mother then sold her jewellery. Karthik's father said, "It was a challenging time for us. But we never let Karthik's dream fail." Manoj Sharma used to play cricket, but his cricket dream came to an end due to an injury.
Karthik's parents were left with no money after he started playing. While in Gwalior for a tournament, they had to spend the night in a night shelter. After Karthik's performance, his team reached the final. Manoj said, "We used to sleep hungry, day after day. The prize money received after winning the final was our support."
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Karthik Sharma's journey in cricket
Karthik's journey in professional cricket began from the under-14 and under-16 levels. But after that, Karthik didn't get opportunities in cricket for four years. However, even without getting opportunities, he didn't give up hope. He continued playing and practicing. The results showed eventually. He got a chance in the Ranji Trophy under-19 team. From there to IPL. Karthik has just passed class eleven. Now his goal is to continue playing alongside his studies.
