Yo! Exclusive: KS Bharat looks back on a fruitful IPL 2021 with RCB

While Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) again came so close, yet so far to a maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, they had a strong outing this season. One of their players, KS Bharat from Vizag, had a breakthrough season with the bat. He scored 191 runs at an average of 38.2 in 7 innings in IPL 2021, including a match-winning 78 off 52 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC). He not only was the solution to RCB’s no. 3 riddle but also rid AB de Villiers off wicketkeeping duties. 

In a chat with Yo! Vizag, KS Bharat looks back on his IPL 2021 stint with RCB, while giving an insight into his game. 

“We put everything on the line and yes, it was a hard pill to swallow but we’re proud of how we went about our game throughout the season. Winning and losing is not something in our control, we can only give our best and hope for the win.”

With a lot of hard work and persistence, KS Bharat has evolved his T20 game and translated his domestic performances into what transpired in IPL 2021. “It all started two years back when I was playing for the India A team and I decided to improve my T20 game. I practiced hard, with my coach, at the Andhra Cricket Academy and then at the RCB pre-season camp. I improved my strike rate and expanded my hitting zones. It paid dividends with my performance this season. I hope to keep building on that.”

But IPL 2021 was no ordinary IPL either. This season of the tournament was played in two parts in India and then, in UAE. It was a tough adjustment for all RCB players but KS Bharat saw the positive side of it. “When IPL was shifted to UAE, I had to undergo 7 days of quarantine in India and then 7 more days in UAE. Even after that, we were expected to stay within the bio-bubble and not allowed to go out. But I chose to look at the flip side of the situation – during quarantine, I got to learn more about my teammates, not just their game but also their lives. As you know, IPL is a diverse mix of cultures and hence, I got to learn how life is for cricketers from other countries. Together, we worked on each other’s game and tried to improve as a team.”

Amidst all this, the players did manage to keep the atmosphere lively. KS Bharat gives a peek into what the RCB dressing room was like. “When we stepped on the field, we had our game faces on. But off the field, we had plenty of fun, especially at the breakfast table every morning. Some of my teammates, like Yuzi Bhai (Yuzvendra Chahal) and Mohammed Siraj have been my friends since the India A days. Our friendship only got stronger through the months playing for RCB.” 

Next year’s IPL has plenty of surprises in store. Two new teams are to be added and a mega auction is going to happen. Amidst all these unpredictables, this Vizag cricketer has chosen to not get too far ahead. “I am currently focussing on the upcoming few games, playing for Andhra at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22. I am choosing to think about the little things in my game that I can improve. Once my game becomes solid, I am confident that good things will follow.”

Unlike most other cricketers, KS Bharat doesn’t believe in having cricketing idols. “I do admire Virat Kohli for his attitude towards the game and MS Dhoni for his match-awareness. Rahul sir (Rahul Dravid) has been a huge help in the year or so he coached me at India A. But I personally believe in picking out the good parts from every person and imparting them in my game. I don’t necessarily idolise anyone.”

In the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, KS Bharat will be captaining the Andhra side. He comes with a lot of captaincy experience, having led the South Zone, India A sides previously. His captaincy formula is simple – “all 11 players in the team are their own captains and have to make their own decisions. Everyone has to play their role in making the team win. There is no spoon-feeding.”

To conclude, KS Bharat wants to just express gratitude to everyone who has backed him all these years. “From my Andhra, India A teammates to everyone who I met outside of the ground, I want to thank them all for their relentless support. Even to the groundsmen back at the academy who prepared excellent pitches for me, and the other players, to practice on. I am immensely grateful to the Andhra Cricket Association, and my coach Mr. J Krishna Rao, for always keeping faith in me throughout my career so far. I wish to continue repaying their faith as I have done so far.”

KS Bharat also has a special message for his many fans in Vizag who cheered for him at every match and for every ball. “I was overwhelmed by all the good wishes and congratulations I received after the season ended. I have received a lot of support from Vizag. I heard that a lot of cricket fans in the city started supporting RCB once I was picked to play for them. I will feel proud of my efforts if young kids watched me playing on TV and got the belief that they can also get to this level. That becoming a professional cricketer in India is not a pipe dream.”