Kona Srikar Bharat is an Indian wicketkeeper-batter who will represent Kathmandu Gorkhas in NPL Season 3, announced as the franchise's first overseas signing on 23 August 2026. The 32-year-old right-hander played seven Tests for India and arrives with a Ranji Trophy triple century behind him, 308 against Goa in February 2015, the first ever by a wicketkeeper-batter in the competition's history. He retired from international cricket in June 2026 to keep his franchise career going, and takes the gloves as the Gorkhas' first-choice keeper.
In the Nepal Premier League 2026, Bharat gives Kathmandu a proven gloveman and a senior voice behind the stumps for a squad stacked with big names.
About KS Bharat
Kona Srikar Bharat is Kathmandu’s first overseas signing for Season 3, announced on 23 August 2026: a 32-year-old former India Test wicketkeeper-batter.
A right-hand batter from Visakhapatnam with seven Tests, a Ranji Trophy triple century and 1,812 T20 runs behind him, he retired from international cricket in June 2026 to keep his franchise career going — and takes the gloves as the Gorkhas’ first-choice keeper.
The triple century — 308 against Goa in February 2015, the first by a wicketkeeper-batter in Ranji Trophy history — sits on more than six thousand first-class runs. His India career ran from a Test debut against Australia in Nagpur in 2023 to a final cap against England on 2 February 2024, with a World Test Championship final squad place in between, and his IPL years include the Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title and a productive 2021 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Player details
| Full name | Kona Srikar Bharat |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 October 1993 |
| Birthplace | Visakhapatnam |
| Country | India |
| Playing role | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Batting style | Right-hand bat |
Playing style and strengths
Bharat is a right-hand wicketkeeper-batter with a first-class technique — compact, still-headed, and built on timing rather than muscle. His strength is against spin on subcontinent surfaces: the Ranji triple hundred was an innings of accumulation and placement, and that game translates to T20 middle overs, where he manipulates fields and finds boundaries without taking undue risks. He is not a power-hitter in the modern finisher mould; his 1,812 T20 runs come from strike rotation, late cuts, and drives through the gaps.
Behind the stumps, seven Tests for India is the credential — he kept to India’s spinners on turning tracks, which is directly relevant at Kirtipur. His keeping gives the captain freedom: standing up to the medium-pacers to squeeze the batters, or staying back to Shahab Alam’s left-arm spin. The gloves also settle the XI — one overseas slot covers two jobs, keeper and top-order batter.
KS Bharat's role at Kathmandu Gorkhas in Season 3
Bharat is the first-choice keeper and a top-four batter — the most structurally important of the three overseas signings. Warner opens; Bharat is the natural foil at No. 3, the right-hander who stabilizes the innings if an early wicket falls or accelerates through the middle overs if the openers fire.
His keeping solves Kathmandu’s selection puzzle: with the gloves locked to an overseas player, Sahil Patel — the NPR 5 lakh domestic keeper — becomes pure backup rather than a forced pick, freeing a domestic slot for an extra bowler or all-rounder. That is how the squad balances: three overseas (Warner, Bharat, Arachchige) plus Karan KC’s seam and Shahab Alam’s spin, with Aadil Alam and Santosh Yadav providing the all-round glue. Announced first, on 23 August 2026, Bharat was the signing the rest of the squad was built around.
KS Bharat at NPL 2026
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kathmandu Gorkhas | Season not yet played | |||||
KS Bharat career records
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 | 91 | 1,812 | – | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| First-class | Not publicly available | 6,000+ | – | 308 | Not publicly available |
| Test | 7 | Not publicly available | – | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
Records & achievements
- First wicketkeeper-batter to score a Ranji Trophy triple century: 308 against Goa in February 2015; more than six thousand first-class runs
- Seven Tests for India — debut against Australia in Nagpur in 2023, final Test on 2 February 2024 against England
- Part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad that lifted the IPL 2024 title; in India’s squad for the 2023 World Test Championship final
- IPL experience with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans, including a productive 2021 season with Bengaluru
- Announced as Kathmandu’s first overseas signing for Season 3 on 23 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does KS Bharat play for in NPL Season 3?
KS Bharat plays for Kathmandu Gorkhas — announced as the franchise’s first overseas signing on 23 August 2026.
What is KS Bharat’s role at Kathmandu?
Wicketkeeper-batter and the first-choice keeper.
How old is KS Bharat?
He is 32; he retired from international cricket in June 2026.
How many Tests did KS Bharat play for India?
Seven, debuting against Australia in Nagpur in 2023.
Follow Kathmandu Gorkhas
Kathmandu Gorkhas squad lists every player and their Season 3 recruitment status. Auction prices record the listed auction transaction only, not a career salary or a retained-player fee. Season 3 runs October 26 to November 21, 2026, with all Kathmandu home games at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Sources and verification
Checked 8 October 2026. Records describe the dated reports linked here; a signing does not guarantee selection or availability for every match.