Indian Test wicketkeeper KS Bharat has signed up to play club cricket in England this summer after going unsold in the IPL 2025 auction.
It was confirmed on Friday (March 14) that Bharat would turn out for Dulwich CC in the upcoming season of the Surrey Championship - Premier Division. The season begins in April, and he is free to play after going unsold in the player auction for IPL 2025.
Several Indian internationals have played county cricket of late – Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara a few. Shardul Thakur will also be representing Essex for the upcoming season. Almost none, on the other hand, have dropped down to club cricket.
Read more: Explained: What Shardul Thakur's Essex deal means for his IPL 2025 prospects
Bharat's signing represents a massive coup for Dulwich. He has played seven Tests for India, most recently against England in his home town of Visakhapatnam in February 2024. While his time at international level has been limited, he is a veteran of 105 first-class matches over 12 years – scoring nearly 6000 runs.
The 31-year-old played two Ranji Trophy matches this season for Andhra Pradesh, scoring 19, 41, 52 & 43 as well as holding on to nine catches. Bharat has also played 10 IPL matches, for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Last season, Dulwich were in Division 1 of the Surrey Championship but secured promotion to the Premier Division by virtue of finishing second in the league behind Spencer CC.
They rounded off the season with a win last September, securing 20 points in a six-wicket win over Old Hamptonians. A team effort saw them skittle their opponents for 188, before notable contributions from Sam Seecharan (62*) and Ollie Steele (48) saw them get over the line in just 26.2 overs.
The first fixture of the new season will see Dulwich travel to Bromley Common on April 12.
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