Srikar Bharat

KS Bharat did not keep wicket in a match until his last year in Under-19 cricket. From there, he had to compete with Wriddhiman Saha, an immaculate gloveman, and Rishabh Pant, a maverick batter, for a spot in India's Test side.

Bharat got his first India call-up in November 2019 but had to wait till February 2023 for his debut. That too came only because Pant was unavailable after his car accident. In between, he kept as a substitute - and took two catches and effected one stumping - when Saha had a stiff neck during the Kanpur Test against New Zealand in 2021.

Bharat's first five Tests were against Australia: four in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home and the other, the World Test Championship final at The Oval. He showed glimpses of brilliance behind the stumps but was not consistent. With the bat, he failed to convert his starts. As a result, he was dropped midway through the England series at home in early 2024.

In domestic cricket, Bharat was the first wicketkeeper-batter to score a triple-hundred in the Ranji Trophy. Opening for Andhra, he smashed 308 off 311 balls against Goa in Ongole in the 2014-15 season. That was also the first triple-hundred by an Andhra batter in first-class cricket.

A few days later, Delhi Daredevils bought him ahead of IPL 2015. But he did not get a game and was released after the season. His next IPL stint was in 2021, for Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the following three years, he was part of three different franchises - Delhi Capitals in 2022, Gujarat Titans in 2023, and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 - but barely got any opportunities.