Kona Srikar Bharat Retirement: Indian cricket team’s wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old player shared an emotional message on social media, remembering his cricket journey and expressing his gratitude to those who made his journey special.
KS Bharat’s international career may not have been long, but wearing the Test jersey of Team India was like a dream come true for him. He played 7 Test matches for India and made his name as a wicketkeeper with his safe glovework. Bharat was also a part of the Indian team that played the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2023.
However, amidst the return of Rishabh Pant and increasing competition in the team, Bharat could not cement his place in the Test team for long. His last international match was the Visakhapatnam Test against England in February 2024. He scored 221 runs in 7 Test matches, while taking 18 catches and 1 stumping behind the wicket.
Announcing his retirement, Bharat wrote, “Playing for the country has been the greatest honor of my life. This journey required struggle, patience and sacrifice, but the pride of representing India was greater than every challenge.”
In his emotional message, Bharat gave the biggest credit to the family. He said that his parents and sister lived his dream as their own for two decades. He wrote that whatever he is today is because of the love, discipline and hard work of his family. Bharat also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Andhra Cricket Association, Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association, coaches, team management and ground staff.
In his farewell message he mentioned three special names. Bharat said that he will always be grateful to Virat Kohli for giving him his first chance in IPL. The contribution of captain Rohit Sharma, who gave him the opportunity of Test debut, and coach Rahul Dravid, who guided him from the initial days, will always be memorable in his career.
