Kartik Sharma: Early Training and the Turning Point
Manoj Sharma, who belongs to Bharatpur in Rajasthan, had the desire to become an international cricketer. However, his shoulder injury halted his playing career. After his retirement from cricket, he chose to support his son in his cricket career. He introduced his son kartik to cricket when kartik was two and a half years old. Later, from kartik’s age of five, Manoj Sharma himself trained kartik. Later on, professional trainers trained kartik at the school level. Manoj Sharma took a large bank loan to support his son kartik’s cricket career so that kartik could improve his performance with proper training from Lokendra Singh Chahar, the father of Indian cricketer Deepak Chahar.
Batting Technique and Selection for IPL
Kartik is a wicket-keeper-batsman. He is known for his aggressive stroke play and numerous sixes. His batting technique is quite similar to that of Kevin Pietersen. Kartik was able to score his knocks in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a strike rate of over 160. This further led to the attention of teams in the IPL towards his performance. Even though his original price was Rs. 30 lakh, Chennai Super Kings picked him for Rs. 14.2 crores in the IPL 2026.
Mangesh has a lower-middle-class family background, and he belongs to Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. His father is a truck driver, and he has to remain away from home for a longer period. Mangesh had a plan to help his family through cricket. He used to come to training sessions almost 70 kilometers away from his village. He got notice as a fast bowler during his teenage days in his local area. He then got a chance to play for his district and state.
League Function and Rewards
His professional life got a turn when he played for the Madhya Pradesh T20 League. In the six matches he played there, he bagged four wickets in four matches. His performances with the bat also earned him a name as an all-rounder. His performance caught the attention of the IPL teams. The Bengaluru franchise purchased him for Rs. 5.2 crores at the mini-auction.
Mangesh’s coach, Utsav Bairagi, spoke about the character and kindness he possessed. Mangesh had been generous with the prize money he received despite financial hardships. At times, he donated Rs. 10,000 cash prize to ground staff employees. Similarly, he donated the bicycle prize of “Player of the Match” to the grounds man because he had been awarded that prize. His improvement is mainly attributed to discipline and hard work.
Akib Nabi: From Limited Facilities to National Recognition
Akib Nabi was born in Baramulla, situated in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, which had poor infrastructure for playing cricket. His father, Ghulam Nabi, is a government school tutor, and he wants his son to study medicine. Akib was initially busy with his studies but then became passionate about cricket watching his friend's achievements. To learn more skills, he had to shift to another place, which was Bengaluru, learning the art of pace bowling.
Domestic Success and Bowling Strength
In the year 2016, Akib was picked for the Jammu & Kashmir Under-16 side. He performed well in the Cooch Behar Trophy and then moved to the Ranji Trophy in the year 2020. In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, he picked 44 wickets in eight matches. He achieved a hat trick in the Duleep Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he picked 15 wickets in the matches he played.
IPL Auction and Future Plans
It is pertinent to Akib is known for swing bowling and his fast bowling. He is also known by the nickname ‘Baramulla Dale Steyn.’ At the age of 29, Akib has played 36 first-class matches and has taken 125 wickets, out of which 12 are five-wicket hauls. His team, Delhi, bought him in the IPL 2026 auction for a price of 8.4 crores. Akib also wants to open a cricket academy in Baramulla using a part of the amount.
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