Kona Srikar Bharat, born on October 3, 1993, is an Indian cricketer who represents the Indian national team as a wicket-keeper batsman. In domestic cricket, he plays for Andhra, while in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he represents the Kolkata Knight Riders. Bharat made his Test debut for India against Australia in February 2023. Notably, in February 2015, he achieved the milestone of becoming the first wicket-keeper batsman to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.
India vs England 2nd Test is going to be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam from 2 February 2024 and KS Bharat will play a key role as the specialist wicketkeeper batter for India. He failed to make an impact in the first Test but a lot is expected from him in the 2nd Test match of the series.
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KS Bharat Test Records & Stats
In Kona Srikar Bharat’s Test cricket career, he has played five matches, accumulating a total of 129 runs at an average of 18.42. Bharat is yet to score a century or a half-century in Test cricket, with his highest score being 44 runs. As a wicketkeeper, he has taken 12 catches and executed one stumping behind the stumps.
| Competition | Test |
|---|---|
| Matches | 5 |
| Runs scored | 129 |
| Batting average | 18.42 |
| 100s/50s | 0/0 |
| Top score | 44 |
| Catches/stumpings | 12/1 |
KS Bharat Test Career
In November 2019, Kona Srikar Bharat was included in India’s Test squad for the second Test against Bangladesh as cover for Wriddhiman Saha. Subsequently, in January 2020, he was drafted into India’s squad for the One Day International (ODI) series against Australia after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion.
In January 2021, Bharat was named among five standby players in India’s Test squad for their series against England. He was again called up in May 2021 for India’s Test squad against England as a replacement for Wriddhiman Saha.
In November 2021, Bharat made his appearance in the first Test for India against New Zealand, filling in for the injured Wriddhiman Saha. During the match, he kept wicket and took two catches behind the stumps, also effecting the stumping of Tom Latham for 95 off Axar Patel’s bowling.
In February 2022, Bharat was included in India’s Test squad for their series against Sri Lanka. He was once again named in India’s Test squad in May 2022, this time for the rescheduled fifth Test against England.
On February 9, 2023, Bharat marked his Test debut against Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. In January 2024, he earned selection in India’s squad for the Test series against England. In the first test of the series, he contributed 41 runs in the first innings and 28 runs in the second innings, while also effecting four dismissals during the match.
KS Bharat Early Life
K. S. Bharat was born on October 3, 1993, in Visakhapatnam to Kona Srinivas Rao, a master craftsman at the city’s naval dockyard, and Manga Devi, a housewife. He attended St. Aloysius High School and later graduated from Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College with a BCom degree.
Bharat’s cricket journey began at a young age when he joined the Andhra Ranji Trophy squad for training at the age of 11. He also had the opportunity to serve as one of the ball boys during the India-Pakistan ODI match held in Visakhapatnam in 2005. At the age of 19, Bharat transitioned to wicketkeeping, marking the beginning of his specialization in that role.
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KS Bharat Domestic Career
In February 2015, K. S. Bharat made history by becoming the first wicketkeeper-batsman to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.
His journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL) began in 2015 when he was signed by the Delhi Daredevils for ₹10 lakh. Despite being part of the squad, he did not get a chance to play and was released before the next season. However, in February 2021, Bharat was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL auction for the 2021 season. He made several appearances for the team and gained attention, particularly for his last-ball six against the Delhi Capitals.
In February 2022, Bharat’s fortunes changed as he was bought by the Delhi Capitals in the auction for the 2022 IPL season for ₹2 crore. Unfortunately, he did not get an opportunity to play and was released ahead of the next season.
Later, in December 2022, Bharat was acquired by the Gujarat Titans in the auction for the 2023 IPL season for ₹1.2 crore. However, his stint with the team was short-lived as he was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2024 IPL season at the base price of ₹50 lakh in December 2023.
KS Bharat Test Stats FAQs
1- KS Bharat has scored how many runs in Test Cricket?
KS Bharat has scored only 129 runs in 5 Test matches with an average of 18.42.
2- How many dismissals has been affected by KS Bharat in Test matches?
He has taken 12 catches and completed one stumping.