Karn Sharma

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Karn Vinod Sharma (born 23 October 1987) is a former Indian cricketer who represented the Indian national team in Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. A left-handed batter and right-arm leg-break bowler, Sharma primarily played as an all-rounder and represented the Railways cricket team in domestic cricket.

Sharma made his international debut in 2014, playing one T20I, two ODIs and one Test for India. His Test debut came against Australia in Adelaide in December 2014. He also enjoyed a long career in the Indian Premier League (IPL), representing teams including Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.

He became notable for winning three consecutive IPL titles with three different franchises—Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, Mumbai Indians in 2017 and Chennai Super Kings in 2018. He later won a fourth IPL title with Chennai Super Kings in 2021. Sharma announced his retirement from international and Indian domestic cricket on 23 August 2026, bringing an end to a career spanning nearly two decades.

Early life and domestic career

Karn Vinod Sharma was born on 23 October 1987 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. He began his first-class career with Railways during the 2007–08 Ranji Trophy season.

He made his first-class debut against Jammu and Kashmir at Karnail Singh Stadium. In the match, Sharma scored 120 runs from 232 deliveries, including 17 boundaries, as Railways won by an innings and 88 runs.

Although he initially played primarily as a batter, Sharma developed into a leg-spinner and became an important all-rounder in domestic cricket. During his career, he also represented Andhra and Vidarbha in domestic cricket.

In the 2018–19 season, Sharma was selected for India Green's squad for the Duleep Trophy. He was also the leading wicket-taker for Andhra in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 12 wickets in eight matches.

By the end of his first-class career, Sharma had played 97 matches and taken 270 wickets at an average of 27.60, including 14 five-wicket hauls. He also scored 2,866 runs, including two centuries and 17 fifties. In List A cricket, he finished with 153 wickets in 123 matches and scored 1,827 runs.

International career

Karn Sharma represented India in all three international formats during 2014. His international career consisted of one T20I, two ODIs and one Test.

T20I career

Sharma made his T20I debut for India against England on 7 September 2014. He took one wicket in his only T20I appearance.

ODI career

Sharma made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on 13 November 2014. He bowled nine overs without taking a wicket and did not get an opportunity to bat.

His second ODI also came against Sri Lanka during the same series.

Test career

Sharma made his Test debut against Australia in Adelaide on 9 December 2014. He became India's Test cap number 283.

In the Test, Sharma took four wickets across Australia's two innings, including the dismissals of Chris Rogers and David Warner. He scored eight runs across his two innings.

The Test remained his only appearance in the format. Sharma later described receiving his Test cap and playing for India as among the most memorable moments of his cricket career.

Indian Premier League career

Karn Sharma had an extensive IPL career spanning several franchises and more than 90 matches. He first featured for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sharma joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013. He became an important member of the team's spin-bowling attack alongside senior leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

His performances during the 2013 season helped establish him as a reliable T20 bowler. In the 2014 IPL auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for ₹3.75 crore after a bidding contest involving Kings XI Punjab, making him the highest-paid uncapped Indian player at the auction.

He continued with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2015 and 2016 and played a significant role in the team's successful 2016 campaign.

Mumbai Indians

In February 2017, Sharma was purchased by Mumbai Indians for ₹3.2 crore.

He was part of Mumbai's title-winning 2017 campaign. In the IPL final against Rising Pune Supergiant, Sharma bowled four economical overs, conceding only 18 runs and delivering 12 dot balls, contributing to Mumbai Indians' narrow victory.

Chennai Super Kings

In the 2018 IPL auction, Chennai Super Kings bought Sharma for ₹5 crore.

He subsequently became part of Chennai's title-winning 2018 team. His victory gave him a unique distinction: he had won IPL championships in three consecutive seasons with three different franchises—Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, Mumbai Indians in 2017 and Chennai Super Kings in 2018.

Sharma later won another IPL title with Chennai Super Kings in 2021, taking his total number of IPL championships to four.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

In February 2022, Sharma was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2022 IPL season. He subsequently remained associated with the franchise during the later stages of his IPL career.

Across his IPL career, Sharma played 90 matches and took 83 wickets, while also contributing 352 runs from 41 innings.

Retirement

On 23 August 2026, Karn Sharma announced his retirement from international and Indian domestic cricket. His announcement came during the 2026 Uttar Pradesh T20 League, where he was representing the Kanpur Superstars.

Sharma said that at 38, he felt it was the appropriate time to end his playing career and make way for younger players. His final competitive appearance was scheduled for 25 August 2026.

His retirement brought an end to a cricket career of nearly two decades. He finished his career as one of the few Indian players to have represented the country in all three international formats while also becoming a four-time IPL champion.

References

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