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Former India wicketkeeper and chief selector MSK Prasad said on Thursday that he had tried to persuade Indian wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat to reconsider his decision to retire from international cricket, but the Andhra Pradesh player had made up his mind to move on. Prasad termed the decision as shocking and unfortunate.

In an unexpected development on Thursday evening, 32-year-old KS Bharat announced his retirement from international cricket. Bharat was first called up to the Indian team in November 2019, but made his Test debut in February 2023, while Rishabh Pant was recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car accident.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Prasad said, "I was aware of this, as it came as a huge surprise to me. I even tried to talk to him, but he clearly said he wanted to move on. I've seen him grow from the Under-13 level, so when he told me about this decision, it was really shocking. But what can be done now? It's quite unfortunate."

He continued, "Actually, I also retired at the age of 31, but Bharat has now made up his mind. Perhaps he felt it was time to move on and perhaps he wanted to focus on something else. I tried my best to convince him and even talked to him, but he was adamant on his decision."

Bharat is also remembered for his role in the 2021 Kanpur Test against New Zealand, when he took over wicketkeeping duties after Wriddhiman Saha suffered a stiff neck. He took two catches and made a stumping in that match. However, due to a lack of consistency in his wicketkeeping and batting, he did not return to the Indian Test team until the second Test against England at his home ground, Visakhapatnam, in February 2024.

Bharat played seven Test matches, including the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final. He scored 223 runs at an average of 20.09, with a highest score of 44. He also played 10 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals in the IPL, scoring 199 runs.

Prasad said, "I think he still had the potential to make a comeback. He was a brilliant wicketkeeper, there's no doubt about it. He had very safe hands and was a good batsman, as I've seen him progress from the Under-13 level. But now he has other ideas, and we have to respect his decision."

Meanwhile, speculation has been rife on social media that Bharat could represent the UAE in the future. It was claimed that he was seen practising with the UAE team in some training sessions last month.

However, sources told IANS that there was no truth to these speculations. They admitted that Bharat was in Dubai at the time and had attended a few sessions with the UAE national team for practice or training purposes, but nothing more than that.

It is worth noting that according to International Cricket Council rules, if a player wishes to play international cricket for another country, he must meet the citizenship or residency requirements of that country, and also complete a mandatory cooling-off period of three years from the date of his last international match played for his former country.

Earlier, former India Under-19 and Uttar Pradesh batsman Akshadeep Nath made his debut for the UAE in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 matches played in Nepal this year. He acquired UAE citizenship after relocating from Lucknow to Dubai last year.

PC: ABP News