Kartik Sharma emerged as the surprise star of Chennai Super Kings’ emphatic eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, but it was his celebration after the match that ended up stealing much of the spotlight. The young batter celebrated his maiden impact knock with the famous gun-point gesture, a move that immediately brought back memories of MS Dhoni’s iconic celebration from 2005.
After the match, Kartik Sharma revealed that the celebration was not spontaneous at all. He had decided in advance that if he delivered with the bat, he would mark the moment in that style. For him, it was a personal expression of joy after a memorable first innings and a landmark maiden IPL fifty.
“I had planned beforehand that if I scored runs today, I would celebrate like that,” Kartik Sharma said.
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While the gesture naturally triggered comparisons with Dhoni, Kartik Sharma made it clear that he had not set out to recreate his idol’s moment. Even so, the resemblance was impossible to miss. Dhoni first made that pose unforgettable during his brilliant unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005, a knock that remains one of the most celebrated in ODI history.
An unorthodox finishing touch to a classic rivalry! 🎬
🎥 @ChennaiIPL complete the double over their arch-rivals #MI in style 💛
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/VVAjldiiC0#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #CSKvMI | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/yeBWsXZ6Lu
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 2, 2026
Made an impact & how! 👏🌟
Kartik Sharma makes a mark in the #BiggestRivalry with a maiden #TATAIPL fifty for #CSK! 💛#TATAIPL 2026 | #CSKvMI | [ Ruturaj Gaikwad, Hardik Pandya, Kartik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Naman Dhir ] pic.twitter.com/2UJ7qDXhdv
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 2, 2026
Kartik Sharma, however, is building his own story. The 20-year-old played a composed unbeaten knock of 54 off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians and played a key role in CSK’s chase of 160. His innings carried added significance because it came under pressure, with Chennai slipping to 46/2 early in the chase.
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He then combined smoothly with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who anchored the innings with an unbeaten 67 off 48 balls, as CSK completed the chase with 29 balls to spare. The knock also made Kartik the second-youngest CSK batter to score an IPL fifty, behind only Ayush Mhatre.
Looking back, Kartik summed up the occasion simply: “Yes sir, it was my first innings and my first IPL fifty.”
