Andhra wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat, who played seven Tests, announces retirement from Indian cricket

Mumbai: Former India and Andhra wicketkeeper KS Bharat, who played seven Tests and scored 221 runs at an average of 20.09 between 2023 and 2024, on Thursday announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 32.

Bharat made his Test debut against Australia in Nagpur in February 2023 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and played the last of his seven Tests against England at Visakhapatnam in February 2024. He also featured in 113 first-class matches, scoring 6,102 runs at an average of 36.53, with 11 centuries and 31 fifties.



“With a proud heart and a sense of gratitude, I announce my retirement from international cricket. To play for my country has been the greatest honour of my life. This journey of mine has demanded great resilience and strength, but the honour of representing India in Tests was worth every moment.

“In a family of four, we all lived the same dream over two decades. A big thank you to my sister, mom and dad for creating the environment and support system that they have been. I am a product of their love, discipline and hard work,” wrote Bharat in a note on his Instagram account on Thursday.

Bharat, who played in the IPL for four teams — Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru — thanked India's modern-day greats Virat Kohli, under whom he played at RCB, and Rohit Sharma, under whose captaincy he made his Test debut for India.

“A big thank you to my IPL debut captain Virat Kohli for giving me an opportunity to show my skills and come into recognition. A big thank you to my Indian captain Rohit Sharma, under whom I made my Test debut, which is priceless and beyond words. To my Indian coach Rahul Dravid sir, his guidance from India A to the Indian team is unforgettable. With your support, I could become an Indian Test cricketer. Thank you, BCCI, and all the coaches and managers whom I came across in my career and who supported me unconditionally by creating a great environment to play and excel at the highest level. Thank you, Andhra Cricket Association, VDCA and all office-bearers for your support and encouragement from my childhood," Bharat wrote.

“I owe massive gratitude and respect to all the groundsmen who have worked very, very hard to ensure the best pitches and ground conditions were provided to me at all times. To all my teammates, I extend a big thank you for all the moments and achievements together, which helped me in my career. Without all of you, it would not have been possible for me to achieve my dream and play this sport all these years," he wrote.

Bharat became the first wicketkeeper-batter to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy when he smashed 308 off 311 balls for Andhra against Goa in Ongole during the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season. He also scored 2,692 and 1,812 runs in List A and T20 cricket respectively.

“To my coach J Krishna Rao, thank you for shaping me into an international cricketer at a young age. To the fans and cricket lovers across the world, thank you for your endless support and encouragement whenever I represented our country. Hearing our national anthem and sharing the field with great ambassadors of the game are memories I will cherish forever. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of my journey. Cricket has given me everything in many ways, and I owe it my life,” stated Bharat in his emotional retirement note.

Post-retirement, Bharat said he wanted to focus on mentoring young cricketers.

“My advice to young players is to dream big and work hard to achieve it. Dreams do come true with grit, discipline, hard work and determination. If I could achieve my dream, so can you. My journey with BCCI and Test cricket may have come to an end, but my journey in the game continues. I will keep playing, contributing and giving back to cricket by guiding, mentoring and coaching the next generation who dream of making it big. I love India and I love cricket. Thank you for everything,” he concluded.

A regular with India A at one point, Bharat was part of Delhi Daredevils in the IPL in 2015. Later, he played for RCB in 2021, where he smashed an unbeaten 78 in a thrilling last-ball win over Delhi Capitals, lofting Avesh Khan for a straight six to seal the match. In the following three years, Bharat was part of Delhi Capitals (2022), Gujarat Titans (2023) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2024), when they won the title, but he did not get many opportunities.