From floor to ceiling! Who are Aaqib Dar and Kartik Sharma? On whom money rained in IPL mini auction

IPL 2026 Auction: Yesterday a mini auction took place for the 19th season of IPL. This mini auction has changed the fortunes of many uncapped Indian players overnight. Aaqib Nabi Dar of Jammu and Kashmir and young sensation Karthik Sharma of Rajasthan have emerged as the biggest stars in this auction. Whom Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings included in their team by making big bids.

Delhi’s Aaqib Nabi Dar

Aaqib Dar is a lethal fast bowler and useful lower order batsman hailing from Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. Starting from the base price of ₹ 30 lakh, Delhi Capitals made a huge bid of ₹ 8.40 crore for this 29-year-old player. This bid of Delhi for Aaqib Dar has caught the attention of the fans.

Aaqib is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and accurate yorkers in the death overs. In this season of Ranji Trophy, he took 29 wickets in only 5 matches, making him among the top wicket takers of the tournament. He has been impressive in T20 format also. In the 2025 season, he took 15 wickets in 7 matches, in which his economy rate was less than 8.

Karthik became the most expensive uncapped player

19-year-old Karthik Sharma, who hails from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, has become one of the most expensive uncapped players of the IPL 2026 auction. CSK spent ₹14.20 crore on him, which shows the team’s confidence in his talent.

Karthik has the ability to hit big sixes in the middle order. He is being seen as a ‘six hitting machine’ in the domestic circuit. His strike rate in T20 matches is 164, which is considered the best for any finisher. So far, he has scored 334 runs in 12 T20 matches, which includes 28 sixes.

Also read: IPL Auction 2026: After remaining unsold twice, Prithvi Shaw’s fate finally opened, CSK bet on Sarfaraz.