The young Indian wicketkeeper batter, Kona Srikar Bharat made his Test debut for India as he was picked ahead of Ishan Kishan for the much-anticipated opening game of the 4-match Border Gavaskar series in Nagpur. KS Bharat was handed his Test cap by senior batter Cheteshwar Pujara at the Indian team huddle ahead of the toss on Thursday, February 9 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
It was an emotional moment for KS Bharat who had to wait for a long time in the wings before he could wear the Indian whites. There were two debutants for India in Nagpur as the hosts also picked No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav ahead of in-form Shubman Gill.
As it turned out, BCCI invited the families of both Bharat and SKY in Nagpur and the wicketkeeper-batter from Andhra Pradesh shared a heartwarming moment after receiving his Test cap. KS Bharat also embraced his mother, who was emotional after seeing her son realize his childhood dream.
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The photographers at the stadium did not miss the heartwarming moment as they captured Bharat embracing his mother ahead of the toss in Nagpur. Notably, Suryakumar Yadav’s family was also at the stadium in Nagpur to watch him receive his Test cap from former head coach Ravi Shastri.
Test debuts for @surya_14kumar & @KonaBharat 👏 👏
The grin on the faces of their family members says it all 😊 😊#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/dJc7uYbhGc
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2023
Debut in international cricket for @KonaBharat 👍 👍
A special moment for him as he receives his Test cap from @cheteshwar1 👌 👌#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/dRxQy8IRvZ
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2023
SKY makes his TEST DEBUT as he receives the Test cap from former Head Coach @RaviShastriOfc 👏 👏
Good luck @surya_14kumar 👍 👍#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/JVRyK0Vh4u
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2023
Playing test cricket for the country is a true honour. Happy for @surya_14kumar and KS Bharat.
Go well 👍#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/j8fKAwybSv— DK (@DineshKarthik) February 9, 2023
KS Bharat had been traveling with the Indian squads as Rishabh Pant had sealed the wicket-keeper batter’s spot in Tests for India. Pant had been in sensational form, emerging as one of the biggest match-winners for India in Tests. Wriddhiman Saha also had to make way for Pant, who was initially struggling to keep wickets at home. However, with a lot of runs under his belt, Pant made rapid strides in terms of improving his glovework.
KS Bharat got the opportunity after Pant was ruled out of the 4-match Test series due to multiple injuries suffered in a car accident in December 2022.
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Pant underwent surgeries to treat his injuries and is expected to miss the cricketing action for at least 6 months. Bharat has been a prolific run-getter in first-class cricket for Andhra. In 86 matches, Bharat has scored 4707 runs, including 9 hundred. Bharat also has a first-class triple hundred and is known for his safe wicketkeeping skills.
