5 days ago
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Visakhapatnam-based Indian cricketer Kona Srikar Bharat has announced his status from planetary cricket. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter posted the quality connected his authoritative societal media accounts connected the evening of Thursday (June 4, 2026), bringing the curtain down connected a vocation that carried him to the highest level of the game, Test cricket for India.
In an affectional note, Bharat reflected connected what it had meant to deterioration the India jersey and correspond the country. “To play for my state has been the top honour of my life. This travel demanded resilience and strength, but the privilege of representing India successful Test cricket made each infinitesimal worthwhile,” helium wrote.
He paid tribute to his family, whose support, helium said, had held steadfast done each signifier of his cricketing life.
The Andhra cricketer besides acknowledged the Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI), and the coaches, managers and enactment unit who worked with him done his career. He reserved a peculiar notation for the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (VDCA) and their office-bearers, who backed him connected the agelong ascent from grassroots cricket to the planetary stage.
Turning to the radical who shaped his career, Bharat singled retired India skipper Rohit Sharma, nether whom helium made his Test debut. “A large convey you to my skipper Rohit Sharma, nether whom I made my Test debut. It is simply a representation that is priceless and beyond words,” helium wrote.
He besides remembered erstwhile India caput manager Rahul Dravid, who, helium said, guided him from the India A setup to the nationalist side. Dravid’s mentorship, Bharat wrote, had been invaluable and unforgettable.
On his Indian Premier League (IPL) days, Bharat turned to Virat Kohli, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) erstwhile helium made his IPL debut. Kohli’s religion successful him, helium said, gave him the signifier to beryllium his quality and triumph announcement astatine the nationalist level.
Bharat saved lukewarm words for his long-time manager J. Krishna Rao, who moulded his crippled from his aboriginal years and helped crook him into an planetary cricketer.
Following the announcement, the BCCI, done its authoritative societal media handles, wished Bharat occurrence successful his aboriginal endeavours.
Bharat had been associated with the Indian Test squad since 2019 and was regularly portion of the team’s plans during bid against Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and New Zealand, often serving arsenic a reserve wicketkeeper. He made his planetary debut during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia successful 2023. His past quality for India came successful the Test bid against England successful February 2024.
Bharat represented India successful 7 Test matches. He was besides a subordinate of the Indian squad that featured successful the ICC World Test Championship last against Australia successful England successful 2023. He is the lone subordinate from Andhra Pradesh to play a World Cup for India.
In the IPL, Bharat represented respective franchises, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders.
