VISAKHAPATNAM: A long wait has been over for Vizag cricketer Kona Srikar Bharat, popular as KS Bharat, after he made it to the playing Indian team against the formidable opponent Australia in the first test match of the Gavaskar Border Trophy which began at Nagpur on Thursday.
Incidentally, Bharat is the first player from Vizag to play a test match and second player from Andhra to play test match after 23 years.
What is interesting is Bharat started as a ball boy at the ACA VDCA cricket stadium and became a team member of the Indian test squad.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy congratulated Bharat for making test debut and said that Telugu flag should continue to fly high. In a separate message Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan congratulated Bharat and hoped many young cricketers will take inspiration from Bharat.
“It is like a dream come true for any cricketer. Bharat had never lost hope though he had to sit on the bench after being selected for Indian team against New Zealand. He has at least 10 years of cricket left for him and can prove his mettle further,” said ACA head coach J Krishna Rao.