23 December,2025 08:06 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan Carvalho
Kartik Sharma and Karan Yadav
On Tuesday, there was possibly as much elation among JSW's hierarchy as there was in Kartik Sharma's household after the Rajasthan wicket-keeper made headlines by becoming the joint-most expensive uncapped Indian player - along with all-rounder Prashant Veer - to be bought at the IPL auction for Rs 14.2 crore.
The joy was not because the JSW-owned DC Capitals had purchased him - he was instead sold to Chennai Super Kings - it was because it reinforced JSW's belief that they had made the right decision signing the 19-year-old to their sports program less than a month ago.
"It's incredibly gratifying [to see Sharma get picked at the auction]. For Kartik, it's a huge moment and a validation of the work he's put in over the years. It reinforces our belief in spotting promise early and giving it the time, structure, and trust he needs to grow," JSW Sports's Chief Commercial officer Karan Yadav told mid-day.
JSW's list of contracted athletes includes the likes of superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, ace wrestler Sakshi Malik, and talented cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, among others.
Needless to say, Sharma's progress is in good hands, with Yadav explaining how they'll help him with his development both on and off the field.
"Our role is to create an ecosystem around him; whether that's physical conditioning, injury prevention, mental conditioning, or off-field support, such as focusing on gradually building his brand and long-term commercial wealth creation. The idea is to remove distractions so he can focus purely on his cricket," explained Yadav.
Sharma, who has played 29 matches for Rajasthan across all formats, will train at JSW Sports's state-of-the-art Inspire Institute for Sports (IIS) facility in Vijayanagar, Karnataka during the off-season.
