Averages in first-class and List A cricket don’t always reflect the actual picture. How a cricketer performs among stars of the game and the impression he is able to create even in limited opportunities sometimes go on to matter more.
Kona Srikar Bharat’s average in first-class cricket (37.24) and that in List A (33.09) looks far from outstanding. So does his T20 average (20.58) at a strike rate of 108.80, which doesn’t look staggering either.
Having said that, what stands out for Bharat is the impact he had in the later stages of the previous IPL season for Royal Challengers Bangalore as well as his impressive show behind the stumps as India’s substitute wicketkeeper in the fourth innings of the Kanpur Test versus New Zealand last November.
Bharat’s performance in IPL 2021 — hitting 191 runs in eight matches at a healthy average of 38.20 and strike rate of 122.43 — certainly went a long way in Delhi Capitals getting him at Rs 2 crore in this year’s auction, which is 10 times more than his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
After impressing with the gloves in Kanpur and going by the national selectors and Indian team management’s apparent approach towards Wriddhiman Saha at present, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Bharat, who has made a fair amount of India A appearances so far and currently leads Andhra, is on his way to assuring himself the second wicketkeeper-batsman’s place in the India Test squad.
For Bharat, more than relishing the current situation in Indian cricket, it’s still about dealing with the “unknown challenges” that the game has been throwing at him. “I’ve never been in a comfort zone so far in my life,” the 28-year-old told The Telegraph from Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
“I’ve always prepared myself to handle challenges. No one expected me to go and keep wickets in that Kanpur Test. All of a sudden, I was asked to pad up and keep, which is an unknown challenge.
“Also, no one expected me to go out there and effect a run-out and a stumping dismissal. Also, no one expected that I would score 78 not out off 52 balls and hit a six off the last ball in that IPL game (versus Delhi Capitals last October). These, too, were unknown challenges, as I had to perform before people who didn’t know much about me.
“But I would say I always train for these unknown challenges. I would want to be in those difficult situations. Others may black out, but I want to thrive under pressure and I’m very much sure that I’ll only get better moving forward,” a confident Bharat emphasised.
At present, his focus is on getting Andhra off to a good start in the Ranji Trophy that begins on Thursday. But Bharat is also aware of the need to grab every opportunity with both hands in this year’s IPL as well as “add value” to his side.
“I never expect people to come and tell me, ‘Boss, you are going to play 14 games (in the IPL)’. So if there’s any opportunity, I’m there to grab it with both hands.
“In terms of adding value, it’s not just about what you can do for the team. It’s also about what the team is expecting from you. But the mindset that I have, I’m ready to take on any kind of challenges,” Bharat said.
His stint with the Capitals means Bharat will have an opportunity to work alongside their high-profile head coach Ricky Ponting. However, what matters more for Bharat is delivering for his team instead of just looking to learn.
“I need make useful contributions to the team, not just get stuck in order to learn, learn and learn,” he stated.