Chennai Super Kings spent ₹14.20 crore each for Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer in the IPL 2026 auction. Both are uncapped teenagers, bought to add aggression and youth to a middle order that has been crying out for it. Together they stand the franchise ₹28.40 million crowns. They haven’t delivered anything yet.
In the match against Punjab Kings in Chepauk, Kartik Sharma
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came on at No. 6 in a crucial innings. Marco Jansen dismissed him for just 1 run.
Prashant Veer, making his IPL debut, was ranked 7th and remained unbeaten. But he gave only 6 runs from 7 balls. He had almost no opportunity to leave a real mark on the game.
After two matches, the combined return of CSK’s two big youth buys is almost nil. The optimism of the auction table has now met the reality of the IPL.
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Enter Sarfaraz Khan. CSK signed him for ₹75 million. It’s really pocket change compared to what they spent on Kartik and Veer.
Remember, Sarfaraz Khan is a much bigger star in Indian cricket than the other two youngsters. After years of consistent domestic performances, Khan was handed his Test cap by Anil Kumble in February 2024.
On debut, Sarfaraz impressed with a 48-ball fifty, equaling Hardik Pandya for the joint-second fastest half-century by an Indian on Test debut. He followed her with scores of 62 and 68*. He became only the fourth Indian to score two fifties in his first Test.
Later in October that year, against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz scored his maiden Test century. His 150 off 195 balls came after India struggled early on. It helped the team recover and stay competitive in the match.
On April 3, when Sarfaraz Khan was batting at No. 4 against PBKS, he did something the team’s dear teenagers couldn’t do: he got into the game.
His 32 off 12 balls included a hat-trick of boundaries against Arshdeep Singh in consecutive deliveries. He attacked when it mattered. He briefly changed the momentum and added energy to the inning.
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To put that into context, while Sarfaraz scored 32 off 12, Shivam Dube, batting alongside him, scored 14 off 14 at the same stage. That tells you everything about the quality of what Sarfaraz Khan produced.
The pattern continued in the RCB match on April 5. Sarfaraz hit a quickfire 50 off 25 balls to keep CSK alive after another top-order collapse.
That is the problem CSK is facing now. The two players they bought to freshen up and finish games are struggling to find their feet. The only player that does exactly this job is a compromise buy that costs a fraction of the price.
There is no shame in Kartik Sharma or Prashant Veer struggling early. Both are teenagers, making their first real appearances under the pressure of the IPL. The game is hard. Debuts are brutal. This grace period is fair.
But the irony is hard to ignore. The most reliable player in CSK’s middle order at the moment is not even one of their significant investments. He’s the unassuming, underrated veteran who quietly goes about his business at No. 4.
CSK: Pay inequality
Sarfaraz Khan was selected for his base price ₹75 crore during the auction. When broken down over 14 league games, his earnings come close ₹5.36 crore per match.
In comparison, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer earn significantly more. Both were bought for ₹14.20 crore each. This means they earn more ₹1 million per match each.
Sarfaraz Khan does work for peanuts
If we assume that these players play an average of 20 balls per game, the difference is not linear; it’s absurdly exponential.
For Sarfaraz Khan, it is around 27,000 per ball. It is almost 5.5 lakh per ball for Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer.
A similar example can be Rinku Singh in KKR. His salary was ₹55 lakhs in 2022-2024 when he brilliantly chased 29 runs against Gujarat Titans in 5 balls. However, Kolkata Knight Riders realized the potential of their employee and increased the salary to ₹13 crore for 2025-2026.
