K. S. Bharat

Kona Srikar Bharat (born 3 October 1993) is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a wicket-keeper batsman for the Indian cricket team and Andhra in domestic cricket. In February 2023, he made his Test debut for India against Australia. In February 2015, he became the first wicket-keeper batsman to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.

K. S. Bharat
Personal information
Full name
Kona Srikar Bharat
Born (1993-10-03) 3 October 1993
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India[1]
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper batsman
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 305)9 February 2023 v Australia
Last Test7 June 2023 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2012–presentAndhra
2015Delhi Daredevils
2021Royal Challengers Bangalore
2022Delhi Capitals
2023Gujarat Titans
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA T20
Matches 4 90 64 67
Runs scored 101 4,808 1,950 1,116
Batting average 20.20 37.27 33.62 19.57
100s/50s 0/0 9/27 6/6 0/5
Top score 44 308 161* 78*
Catches/stumpings 7/1 303/36 69/13 48/13
Source: Cricinfo, 7 June 2023

Early life

K. S. Bharat was born in Visakhapatnam on 3 October 1993 to Kona Srinivas Rao, a master craftsman at the city's naval dockyard, and Manga Devi, a housewife.[2][3] He studied at the St. Aloysius High School and graduated from Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College with a BCom degree.[4][5]

Bharat began training with the Andhra Ranji Trophy squad at the age of 11.[6] He was one of the ball boys for the India-Pakistan ODI match at Visakhapatnam in 2005.[7] He started keeping wickets at the age of 19.[8]

Domestic and T20 franchise career

In February 2015, he became the first wicket-keeper batsman to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.[9]

In 2015, he was signed up for ₹10 lakh by the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Daredevils.[10] He did not get a game and was released ahead of the next season. In July 2018, he was named in the squad for India Blue for the 2018–19 Duleep Trophy.[11]

In February 2021, Bharat was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL auction ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League.[12] He played several matches and gained popularity after his last-ball six against Delhi Capitals.[13][14]

In February 2022, he was bought by the Delhi Capitals in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League for ₹2 crore.[15] Like 2015, he did not get a game and was released for the next season.

In December 2022, he was bought by the Gujarat Titans in the auction for the 2023 Indian Premier League for ₹1.2 crore.[16]

International career

In November 2019, Bharat was added to India's Test squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, as cover for Wriddhiman Saha.[17] In January 2020, he was added to Indian's squad for the One Day International (ODI) series against Australia, after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion.[18]

In January 2021, he was named as one of five standby players in India's Test squad for their series against England.[19] In May 2021, Bharat was added to India's Test squad for their series against England as cover for Wriddhiman Saha.[20]

In November 2021, Bharat took the field in the first Test for India against defending world test champions New Zealand during the New Zealand tour of India in 2021 as a replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha. In the match he kept wicket and took 2 catches behind the stumps, also dismissing Tom Latham for 95 by stumping him off of Axar Patel's bowling.

In February 2022, Bharat was named in India's Test squad for their series against Sri Lanka.[21] In May 2022, he was again named in India's Test squad, this time for the rescheduled fifth Test against England.[22]

On 9 February 2023, Bharat made his Test debut against Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.[23]

Personal life

Bharat married his longtime girlfriend Anjali Nedunuri in 2020.[24]

References
  1. K. S. Bharat (28 September 2021). KS Bharat Interview | RCB Bold Diaries IPL 2021. Royal Challengers Bangalore. Event occurs at 15s.
  2. Bhattacharjee, Sumit (23 November 2019). "Vizagites rejoice as Bharat joins the Indian Test squad". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  3. Karhadkar, Amol (9 February 2023). "Special day for Suryakumar, Bharat as families witness Test debut in Nagpur". Sportstar. The Hindu. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  4. Gilai, Harish (9 February 2023). "Vizag cheers as city boy K.S. Bharat makes Test debut versus Australia". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  5. "City lad selected in Duleep Trophy team". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  6. "From an 11-year-old training with Ranji Trophy team to completing MBA, KS Bharat is result of a long grind". The Times of India. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  7. "Keeper of faith: From ball boy to India A regular, KS Bharat quietly stakes his claim". The Indian Express. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  8. "KS Bharat: the keeper knocking on destiny's door". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  9. "'I was in a trance-like mode' - Srikar Bharat". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  10. Shridharan, J. r. (18 February 2015). "Bharat, Bhui for IPL from State". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  11. "Samson picked for India A after passing Yo-Yo test". ESPN Cricinfo. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  12. "IPL 2021 auction: The list of sold and unsold players". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  13. "RCB vs DC: KS Bharat's Last-Ball Six Gives Royal Challengers Bangalore Victory Over Delhi Capitals | Cricket News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. Roy, Anjishnu (9 October 2021). "IPL 2021: RCB vs DC – Social media goes berserk over KS Bharat's last ball heroics!". thebridge.in. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  15. "IPL 2022 auction: The list of sold and unsold players". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  16. "IPL Auction".
  17. "Rishabh Pant released to play Mushtaq Ali, KS Bharat to join as Wriddhiman Saha cover". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  18. "KS Bharat called up to ODI squad as cover for Rishabh Pant". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  19. "India's squad for first two Tests against England announced". Board of Control for Cricket in India. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  20. "UK tour: KS Bharat roped in as cover for Wriddhiman Saha". Times of India. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  21. "Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane dropped from India's Test squad for Sri Lanka series". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  22. "New faces galore for India's T20I series against South Africa; squad named for rescheduled England Test". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  23. "1st Test, Nagpur, February 09 - 13, 2023, Australia tour of India". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  24. "Indian cricketer KS Bharat ties knot with girlfriend Anjali after dating 10 years". www.midday.com. 11 August 2020.
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