Having scored his maiden IPL fifty in the form of his knock of 54 runs against the Mumbai Indians last week in IPL, 20-year-old Kartik Sharma played a 31-ball knock of 41 runs in the team’s eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Tuesday night.
The Rajasthan cricketer, who was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 14.2 crore in last year’s IPL auction, making him the joint-most expensive uncapped player, was involved in an unbroken 114-run third wicket partnership with Sanju Samson. Sharma had scored 58 runs in his first five matches for CSK this season before he hit his maiden fifty. Following the win over Delhi, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was asked about the development of Kartik Sharma. The Chennai skipper shared how the skillset was always there in Sharma and how the youngster needed some time in the middle.
“Well, I think the skillset was already there. I feel there is no development as such. But the skillset he is showing in the last couple of games, it was already there. Just that he needed a couple of games to start with. He did not get the momentum and we were chasing high targets as well.So I think he did not get that much time. Last game he got some time, played 10-15 balls and after that he got into it. We all knew what skillset he has. As I said in the last game as well. He is not someone who is a wild slogger. He can rotate the strike well and he can hit the pockets really well. He is someone who can play all around the game. So good to get the confidence for him,” said Gaikwad in the post-match presentation.
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On Tuesday night, Sharma came after the fall of Urvil Patel in the seventh over, with CSK placed at 45 for 2 in 6.3 overs in their chase of the target of 156 runs. Sharma hit four fours and two sixes during his stay at the crease and spoke about how he tackled the ball, stopping a bit on the wicket and how the focus was on building a partnership with Samson. “It was fun to be involved in a partnership with Sanju Samson. The wicket had some help for spinners and the ball was stopping a bit as well spinning. But then we knew that it was not that big a score. Sanju Bhaiya also told me that the ball is coming after stopping on the wicket but do what you already know. My thought was that whichever ball will be in my range, I will hit it. I was playing the ball and nothing else was there in the plan,” Sharma said post the match.
Earlier, CSK coach Stephen Fleming had also lauded Sharma’s batting post his maiden half-century against Mumbai Indians in CSK’s previous match. “You have the young players, there’s two parts to it. One is how you introduce them. It is a big stage no matter what they’ve been doing at domestic level. So understanding their mentality is really important and it is a big step-up. They can have all the talent in the world but the temperament is what we’re looking for, and his (Kartik Sharma’s introduction was tough at the start and then he had a little bit of time out. He worked hard and today was a good reward for that,” Fleming had said post the win last week.
