KS Bharat’s journey from training with a Ranji Trophy
KS Bharat’s journey from training with a Ranji Trophy squad at age 11 to earning an MBA was a long one.
In NEW DELHI: When rookie KS Bharat quickly removed the bails to stump Marnus Labuschagne off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling on Thursday, former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad became emotional. He was transported back almost two decades to the first time he had ever seen ks Bharat’s. click here
“At the time, I was still representing Andhra. At the same location, Bharat was practicing with the Vizag district team. Just the exuberant 11-year-old, he was. We asked him to train with the Andhra Ranji squad since we were so impressed with him at the time. We have kept an eye on him ever since. It was extremely satisfying to witness him successfully finish the stumping today.
Bharat had only been keeping wickets for a year when Prasad first noticed him. He was chosen by Krishna Rao, the coach of Bharat, in interdistrict competitions. He began his career as a batter. However, I took note of his ball sense, footwork when approaching the ball, and immaculate catching skills. He was asked to keep the wickets. Later, he put a lot of effort into improving his wicketkeeping, Rao said.
Bharat hails from a family that is lower middle class. His father was employed by the Vizag Naval Dockyard. Rao claims that his father’s fervor and dedication inspired him to pursue a career in cricket.
The Andhra cricket community mapped Bharat’s development after he made his international debut at age 29. After Prasad retired, there were wicketkeepers ahead of him. Despite the presence of the other senior wicketkeepers, we always made sure he participated in games. But after that, he truly carried the torch, according to Prasad. The rise of Bharat has been slower than that of Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson. Rao admits that his thinking has always been quite intellectual. He knew how to remain composed. Our conversations extended beyond cricket. Life lessons, moral principles, and being a decent person were covered. Although many others have just as much potential, these traits help you stand out from the crowd, he realized.
He didn’t ever forego his schooling. It is unusual these days for a regular Ranji Trophy player to get their MBA, as this man did, Rao said with pride.
“When he played cricket as a hobby, he only paid attention to having fun. He made the decision to pursue cricket as a career when he was 19. He subsequently began forcing himself beyond his comfort zone. He established very rigid eating practices. Training became challenging. He established a methodical routine. Bharat enjoys being uncomfortable. The best thing about him is that if you can persuade him of something, he will get completely fixated on it, Rao continued.
When he was starting to develop, it was advantageous that MSK Prasad was the national selector. “Our selection committee had named him as the replacement for Wriddhiman Saha as the red-ball wicketkeeper. He was chosen over Pant for India ‘A’ Tests. Pant, however, seized the chances. But he really improved his batting by adding a variety of shots, according to Prasad. Bharat may have made his debut somewhat later in his career, but Prasad thinks he did so at a time when he had grown as a cricketer. “Between the ages of 28 and 32, a cricketer reaches the peak of his abilities. He has played first-class cricket for a very long time. He should play for India now, according to Prasad.