IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Can Play the Role of K.S. Bharat In DC Squad

The wicket-keeper batter of the Indian Test team- K.S Bharat will be representing defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2023. He was signed by Gujarat Titans for INR 1.2 crore. Before joining Gujarat, he was with the Delhi Capitals (DC). When he was with the Capitals, he did not receive enough opportunities. The Andhra-based batter played only two matches, scoring just eight runs in the 2022 season. He was released by the Capitals ahead of the auction before being picked by the Titans.

The defending champions could use him as a top-order batter. In the 2021 season, he proved himself to be a match-winner for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) while batting at no. 3, scoring 191 runs at 38.20 in eight matches. K.S Bharat’s journey in the IPL began in 2015 when he was picked up by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the auction. However, he did not get a chance to play in the cash-rich league till the 2021 season of the IPL.

He may not have got many opportunities for Delhi, but Bharat is a talented batter who is very safe behind the gloves. With him being released from the Capitals squad, we look at three players who can play his role in Delhi Capitals.  

3 Players Who Can Play the Role of K.S. Bharat In DC Squad Of IPL 2023

3) Abhishek Porel

The replacement of Rishabh Pant in the DC Camp- young Abhishek Porel was part of India’s U19 World Cup winning squad last year and made his debut at the domestic level across formats for Bengal only last year. In his short professional career, the wicket-keeper batter has played 16 first-class, 3 List A, and 3 T20 matches.

Despite being light on experience, DC decided to invest in him because he looked impressive in the preparatory camp at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the presence of DC Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly. Porel has been chosen over the other three contenders- Luvnith Sisodia, Sheldon Jackson, and Vivek Singh. Apart from his wicket-keeping skills, he is also an aggressive batter. Like Bharat played a second fiddle to Pant, Porel can do the same job for DC in this year’s IPL.

2) Phil Salt

One of the finest white-ball batters going in the world right now, Phil Salt’s acquisition at a base price of INR 2 crore, has been a shrewd one by the Capitals. For England, Salt has scored 245 runs at a strike rate of 148.79 in 16 T20Is. In ODIs, he has 460 runs in twelve innings, averaging 38.33 and a strike rate of 125.68.

As the numbers suggest, Salt is a hard-hitting batter from the get-go. On top of that, his improved wicket-keeping skills make him a runaway match-winner. England’s wicket-keeper batter can be a great pick to do the job of Bharat in the Capitals. The only thing that goes against the selection of Salt is that if he is included in the playing XI, it will disturb the balance of overseas slots.

1) Sarfaraz Khan

Probably the most suited among the three, Sarfaraz has proved his worth as a reliable middle-order batter who’s got a 360 game and can play innovative strokes, which is the demand of white-ball cricket nowadays. Sarfaraz was recently spotted practicing with the gloves during a practice session organized by the Capitals. If that’s not an indication that he will be the first-choice keeping option then not sure what will be. He has been on a roll in domestic cricket, scoring tons and tons of runs for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

The Mumbai-based cricketer had a terrific domestic season but hasn’t flourished in IPL yet. The 25-year-old has scored 532 runs in 46 IPL matches. With not many capped IPL players available to keep the wickets, Sarfaraz is most likely to play that role for the 2020 IPL runners-up. With the bat, Sarfaraz is an ideal pick, not a very safe keeper like Bharat but good enough to do the job for 20 overs. And the more he keeps the wickets in high-pressure IPL games, the better for him.