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Kathmandu Gorkhas signed Indian wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat as their first foreign player for the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). The team has officially announced the signing of the Indian talent through their social media platforms.
32-year-old Bharat, who is mostly known for his domestic cricket stints, represented the India National Cricket Team in seven Test matches. The keeper-batter last played a match for the Indian cricket team on February 2, 2024, in Visakhapatnam, against England.
Kathmandu Gorkhas confirm the signing of KS Bharat
Bharat joins the Kathmandu Gorkhas as their first overseas talent for the upcoming season. While announcing the signing of the Indian cricketer, the Nepal Premier League team in their social media post mentioned that Bharat will bring experience, reliability, and secure wicketkeeping to the team.
"Indian international player KS Bharat, who has played Test cricket for his country, is known for his patience and composure behind the stumps. He will bring experience, reliability, and secure wicketkeeping to the team,” the NPL team wrote.
Bharat also shared a video, confirming his addition to the team. Addressing all of the fans of the team, the keeper-batter said through a video message, "Hello, hi everyone, this is Kona Srikar Bharat, wicketkeeper batsman from India. And I am coming to Kathmandu Gorkhas. See you all at Kathmandu Valley. Three cities, one soul, one dream and one team. See you all there."
From the crease to the valley, hear the roar.
— Kathmandu Gorkhas (@ktm_gorkhas) August 23, 2026
A new squad member arrives, ready to soar.
Welcome to the Valley, KS Bharat,
With the 12th Warrior behind you, let the battle start.#WelcomeToTheValley pic.twitter.com/30q0CHqrWi
KS Bharat last played in the Ranji Trophy
He last featured this year on February 6 in a Ranji Trophy match against Bengal in Kalyani, where he played a 47-run knock. In his last ten matches, Bharat scored only one half-century and a couple of forty-plus-run knocks. However, his overall domestic cricket stats are way better than his recent few performances.
In his First Class cricket career, KS Bharat has played 113 matches and batted in 180 innings to score a total of 6102 runs at an average of 36.53. In his FC career, the middle-order batter has registered eleven 100s, including a highest innings of 308, and 34 half-centuries. In List A cricket, the Andhra Pradesh-born has claimed 2,692 runs with a batting average of 36.37, supported by eight 100s and ten fifties.
KS Bharat's T20 career in brief
He also played a bunch of matches in the Twenty20 format as well. In 91 T20s and 86 innings, the batter has so far got 1812 runs, averaging 23.23 and with a highest score of unbeaten 93. He has also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
During the course, he maintained a strike rate of 119.36 but smashed eleven half-centuries. KS Bharat's T20 strike rate is slightly over a hundred, which is pretty low compared to modern-day T20 cricket, but he is capable of bringing stability and composure in the middle.
In challenging conditions, Bharat's ability to play long-standing innings will provide stability and balance in Kathmandu Gorkhas' batting line-up in the upcoming NPL season. This year's NPL is scheduled to run from October 26 to November 21, 2026.
