Former India wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat is set to continue his cricket career in the United Arab Emirates after being selected for a local tournament just 15 days after announcing his retirement. Bharat retired from Indian cricket on June 4 at the age of 32, although he did not disclose the reason behind his decision.
The Emirates Cricket Board has named KS Bharat in Team Stallions for an upcoming domestic competition. He will not be eligible to represent the UAE national team immediately. Under current regulations, Bharat must complete an eight-month waiting period before he can qualify for international selection with the UAE.
ECB Launches Innovative Two-Day White-Ball Championship
The Emirates Cricket Board will host a two-day white-ball tournament to improve the long-format skills of the UAE's top men's cricketers. The competition will begin at ICC Academy Oval 1 in Dubai, with four teams competing under floodlights in a points-based format.
Each match will be played across two days, with 80 overs scheduled per day and a new ball introduced every 40 overs. Teams will earn four points for an outright win, two points for securing a first-innings lead, and one bonus point for winning by 10 wickets or by an innings.
The ECB Two-Day Championship 2026 is designed to help players develop the skills and mindset needed for longer formats of the game. Batters will get the opportunity to build long innings and partnerships, while bowlers can work on consistency, stamina, and maintaining pressure during extended spells.
KS Bharat Named in Team Stallions for ECB Two-Day Championship 2026
KS Bharat has been included in Team Stallions for the ECB Two-Day Championship 2026. Bharat is currently eligible to play domestic cricket in the UAE, but he cannot represent the national team until February 2027.
Under ICC regulations, players from a Full Member nation to an Associate nation must complete a three-year cooling-off period. Bharat played his last international match for India in the Test against England in February 2024. He will become eligible for UAE selection only after the restriction expires.
KS Bharat joined India's Test side after Rishabh Pant's serious car accident. Bharat scored 221 runs and took 18 catches in seven Tests and was part of India's squad for the 2023 World Test Championship Final.
He became the first wicketkeeper-batter to score a triple century in the Ranji Trophy, smashing 308 off 311 balls against Goa during the 2014-15 season. Across domestic white-ball cricket, he scored 2,692 List A runs and 1,812 T20 runs.
ECB Two-Day Championship 2026 Squads
Team Eagles:
Aftab Alam, Alishan Sharafu, Awais Ahmed, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Shahdad, Muhammad Waseem, Saad Ali Rafi, Simranjeet Singh, Tanish Suri (wk), Zahid Ali.
Team Falcons:
Adeeb Usmani (wk), Aftab Javed, Awaish Shah, Farhan Khan, Haider Razzaq, Harpreet Bhatia, Madhav Manoj, Muhammad Farazuddin, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawad, Nilansh Keswani, Nowadiya Wijayakumara, Yayin Rai.
Team Leopards:
Aayan Afzal Khan, Albin Elias, Akshdeep Nath, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Ayaan Misbah, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Rohid, Muhammad Zuhaib, Nabeel Aziz, Salman Salim, Sohaib Khan, Vishnu Sukumaran, Zeeshan Naseer.
Team Stallions:
Ajay Kumar, Ali Naseer, Ansh Tandon, Harish Seth, Ibrar Ahmed, Jash Gayanani, KS Bharat (wk), Rahul Chopra, Samarth Seth, Syed Muhammad Haider Shah, Uddish Suri, Vaibhav Govekar, Yug Sharma.
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