Kona Srikar Bharat: Â K.S. Bharat or Srikar Bharat is an Indian cricketer who plays as a wicket-keeper batsman for the Andhra cricket team in domestic cricket.
Making his first-class debut at the age of 19 against Kerala in 2012-13, KS Bharat came into the limelight a couple of years later in 2015 when he set a record in the Ranji Trophy becoming the first Indian wicket-keeper batsman to notch up a triple hundred in the country’s premier first-class tournament.
Interestingly, KS Bharat’s personal life too got some interesting incidents. Bharat marries Anjali Nedunuri on August 5, 2020 after dating for 10 years. Check out his biography below:
Kona Srikar Bharat BiographyÂ
| Full Name | Kona Srikar Bharat |
| Nick Name | Srikar Bharat/KS Bharat |
| Date of Birth | October 3, 1993 |
| Birth Place | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| School | Not Known |
| College | Not Known |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Family | Father – Srinivasa Rao |
| Mother – Kona Devi | |
| Sister – Manoghna Lokesh | |
| Martial Status | Married |
| Wife Name | Anjali Nedunuri |
| Profession | Cricketer |
| Role | Wicket keeping Batsman |
| Batting Style | Right Hand Bat |
| Bowling Style | Right Arm Off Break Bowler |
| Teams Played | Andhra, East Zone, South Zone, Delhi Capitals, Rest of India, India Red, India Blue, India B, India A, Board Presidents XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore, India |
| Debut | FC – Andhra vs Kerala at Cuddapah – December 29, 2012 – January 01, 2013 |
| List A -Andhra vs Tamil Nadu at Bangalore – February 20, 2012 | |
| T20 – Andhra vs Tamil Nadu at Bhadravati – March 17, 2013 | |
| International Debut | Test – vs Australia at Nagpur – February 9, 2023 |
| ODI – N/A | |
| T20I – N/A | |
| IPL Debut | vs KKR at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Sep 20, 2021 |
| Favourite Cricketer | MS Dhoni, Mitchell Starc |
| Coach/Mentor | J. Krishna Rao |
Kona Srikar Bharat Early Life
- Kona Srikar Bharat was born on October 3, 1993, in Visakhapatnam, India.
- His father Srinivasa Rao is a Naval Dockyard employee and his mother’s name is Kona Devi.
- Bharat’s father enrolled his name in the Local Cricket Association as a Ball Boy.
- By the time he turned 10, he had already started playing cricket.
- During one of his trials, Mr J. Krishna Rao, his coach, saw his talent and started guiding him later.
- When Bharat was 12 years old, Rao asked him for wicket-keeping as his reflexes were so impressive at that little age.
- He has played matches for Under 13 to the Under 19 cricket team for Andhra Pradesh.
KS Bharat Career
Domestic Career
- Bharat made his first-class debut at an age of 19 in 2012 against Kerala in 2012-13 Ranji Trophy Season.
- Srikar started his List-A career with Vijay Hazare Trophy against Tamil Nadu in 2012 and played his first Vijay Hazare match on 20th February 2012.
- In February 2015, he became the first wicket-keeper batsman to score a triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.
- Bharat aggregated a whopping 758 runs in 9 matches in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy.
- Opening the innings, Bharat amassed a colossal 308 off just 311 deliveries for Andhra Pradesh against Goa in Ongole in February 2015.
- He registered one more hundred (apart from his record triple) and two fifties and has been a consistent scorer for Andhra in the prestigious tournament.
- His other standout hundred came against Vidarbha in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy in Vijayawada.
- Batting at number five, he scored an unbeaten 102 in the second innings to save the match for his team.
- In July 2018, he was named in the squad for India Blue for the 2018–19 Duleep Trophy.
International Career
Test
- In November 2019, Bharat was added to India’s Test squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, as cover for Wriddhiman Saha.
- In May 2021, Bharat was added to India’s Test squad for their series against England as cover for Wriddhiman Saha.
- In November 2021, Bharat took the field in the 1st 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 was required to stand behind the stumps where he managed to take 2 catches and also dismissed Tom Latham for 95 by stumping him off of Axar Patel’s bowling.
- Bharat was named in India’s Test squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka in February 2022.
- In May 2022, he was again named in India’s Test squad, this time for the rescheduled fifth Test against England.
- In February 2023, Bharat made his Test debut against Australia during Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
- In the 1st Test on February 9, 2023, Srikar Bharat dismissed Marnus Labuschagne in Jadeja’s delivery and register his first international stumping.
ODI
- In January 2020, he was added to the Indian squad for the One Day International (ODI) series against Australia, after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion.
IPL
- In February 2015 he was signed up for Rs. 10 lakhs by the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Daredevils(now Delhi Capitals)
- In February 2021 IPL Auction, RCB bought KS Bharat for the base price of INR 20 Lac.
- KS Bharat smashes a winning six for the RCB in IPL 2021 last league match against Delhi Capitals and impressed everyone.
- In IPL 2022 mega auction, Delhi Capitals roped KS Bharat for INR 2 crores with a base price of INR 20 Lakhs. Like the 2015 season, he did not get a chance to play a game and was released by the Delhi franchise ahead of the next season.
- In IPL 2023 Auction, Bharat was purchased by Gujarat Titans for INR 1.20 crore with a base price of INR 20 Lakhs.
KS Bharat Stats
Indian Premier League
| Year | Mat | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
| Career | 10 | 199 | 78* | 28.43 | 122.09 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 8 |
| 2022 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 114.29 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 8 | 191 | 78* | 38.2 | 122.43 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 |
Lesser Known Facts About Kona Srikar Bharat
- Kona Srikar Bharat is the first Indian wicket-keeper batsman to notch up a triple hundred in the country’s premier first-class tournament
- Bharat is married to Anjali Nedunuri. The couple married on August 5, 2020. They dated each other for 10 years and finally married in 2020.
- Hari loves playing at Chennai Ground.
