After waiting for more than 1.5 years to get his debut cap, KS Bharat is likely to get his reward as the wicketkeeper-batter is set to make his debut in first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy set to be played in Nagpur. Bharat has been part of India's Test squad for more than 1.5 years but didn't get a chance to play as Rishabh Pant was playing the role of wicket-keeper batter to perfection.
Download SportsTiger app for the latest sports news and updates
However, with Pant out of cricket action for the next 12-18 months, Team India is set to include KS Bharat as a specialist wicket-keeper for the 4-match Test series against Australia. According to a report on InsideSport, a BCCI official has confirmed that KL Rahul won’t be in contention to keep wickets for India in the longest format of the game.
India vs Australia 2023 LIVE SCORES
“KL has had number of injuries in the last one year or so. It’s not ideal for him to keep wickets in Tests. Test requires specialist keepers. There are two in the team in Bharat and Ishan. It’s up to the team management to decide who to pick,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying to InsideSport.
Although the selectors have included Ishan Kishan in the squad, the young wicket-keeper will have to wait for his turn in Test cricket. Notably, KS Bharat was added to the India Test squad back in May 2021. He was brought in as a cover for Wriddhiman Saha but didn't get a chance to represent Team India in whites.
The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will be played in Nagpur on February 9.
