Swapnil Singh

Karn Sharma is a wily leg spinner who isn’t afraid to get hit, unlike his contemporaries like Chahal and Kuldeep, who never veered away from bowling full and flat.

Karn, who made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009, picked up 11 wickets in the 2013 season, his first fully-fledged IPL campaign for the Meerut-born cricketer. 

The following year, he was even better, accounting for 15 wickets and becoming the second-highest wicket-taker for the Hyderabad-based franchise. In 2016, he went wicketless but ended up winning the trophy with the franchise.

Next year, he again won the trophy, this time with Mumbai India, where he, unlike in 2016, played a crucial role in getting them breakthroughs against the run of play. In 2018, he was bought for ₹5 crore by CSK.

By the time the 2023 edition came, Karn was clearly past his prime but was lethal enough to break the opposition’s rhythm. RCB, who were looking for a replacement for Yuzvendra Chahal, picked him up for his base price of ₹50 lakhs; Sharma responded with ten wickets.