KS Bharat opened up on his journey to the Indian team and said it was all about small steps. Bharat was handed his Test cap on Thursday ahead of the first Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 9, 2023 10:49 IST
Bharat was handed his test cap on Thursday by Pujara (Courtesy: PTI)
By India Today Web Desk: KS Bharat has said that his journey to the Indian team was all about small steps and it never skyrocketed at any point after being handed his Test debut in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Nagpur.
Bharat was selected ahead of Ishan Kishan in the lineup and was handed his Test cap by veteran Cheteshwar Pujara in Nagpur on Thursday morning.
In a video released on BCCI’s official website, the wicketkeeper said it was a proud moment for him and paid tribute to his family, friends and coaches over the years.
“It was a lot of joy to go back over the years from where it all started. Coming all the way long here and watching my jersey. It’s a very proud moment, lots of emotions. It is not just my dream, do many people have dreamt about me playing for India and doing well for India.”
“So much of hard work behind me, a lot of support strength over the years right from my teammates, my family, my wife, my parents, my friends, coaches. Without their support, it wouldn’t have been possible for me to share this stage today,” said Bharat. I think a lot of credit goes to them for putting in all they had behind me and making me reach where I am today.”
Bharat also paid tribute to his coach, Jayakrishna Rao. who first said he had the potential to represent India. The 29-year-old said that he realized his true calling when he started preparing for the big challenges and said that the lean patch he endured in his career helped him realize that he had some potential to make it.
“When I started playing first class, I never thought of this day to be very honest. It was my coach, Jayakrishna Rao. Credit to him. He believed I had the potential right when I wasn’t believing it. In U-19, he told me I had the potential to keep wickets for India. At that time, I felt, fine, that’s a long way away. Who knows what’s going to happen the next day? This is him talking about five six years from now.”
“There was an element that I have the passion for the sport. But whether I would make it to that level was still a question mark. Later, when we started working on my keeping, batting, when we started preparing for unknown challenges, it is when I enjoyed cricket more. For me to believe that I had potential to play for India, it took me four or five years of continuous performances. The first three years i had brilliant seasons, then I had a lean patch. And when I had a lean patch and bounced back, it is when I realized I had some potential to make it big and not just first-class.”
“My journey has never skyrocketed. It has always consisted of small steps,” said Bharat.
The India wicketkeeper shared a heartwarming moment with his mother after getting his Test cap on Thursday.
