Who is KS Bharat? | More than just a cover for Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant
Kona Srikar (KS) Bharat, who has just been called up as a back-up keeper to the India ODI squad, isn't new to being called up as a cover for an injured player. In the recent historic day-night Test in Kolkata, Bharat was called up as a cover for Wriddhiman Saha and even got to keep wickets for the national side for a day. Not much was known about this prolific Andhra batsman, who has been mounting runs over a consistent period in the domestic circuit, at that time. Bharat was elated after being handed the winning trophy by captain Virat Kohli and some motivational words from Rohit Sharma.
26-year-old Bharat made his first-class debut for Andhra at the age of 19 years against Kerala in 2012. In 74 first-class games, Bharat has scored an impressive 4143 runs at an average of 37.66 with nine centuries to his name. But what remains a highlight so far in his career is a magnificent triple ton, two years after his debut, which made him the first wicket-keeper batsman to register this feat in the Ranji Trophy. Bharat scored 308 runs in only 311 balls which included 38 fours and six sixes.
Surprisingly, Bharat wasn't even aware of the historic achievement then and told ESPNcricinfo:
"I remember batting for one-and-a-half days, but I was at a stage where nothing had an effect on me. People were clapping, team-mates were clapping, and I was acknowledging. But I don't remember other details. I was in a trance[-like] mode, to be honest. I was interested only in watching the ball and playing it."
Also see - India Australia head to head
A constant with the 'A' side, Bharat stepped up his game in the 2014-15 season where he scored 758 runs at a remarkable average of 54.11 and this noticeable performance helped the youngster get selected in IPL side Delhi Daredevils in 2015. Bharat's batting prowess accompanied with his behind-the-stumps dexterity- 254 catches and 27 stumpings, have helped him get into the selectors' radar in both forms of the game. With KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Sanju Samson and MS Dhoni (T20Is) still in the mix, it will be interesting to see how the Andhra prodigy will be drafted into the setup. As for now, considering the situation India is in, Bharat is most likely to sit out and carry drinks in the ongoing series.