‘We want to win tournaments’ – KS Bharat targets UAE stint after switching allegiance from India

KS Bharat has announced his intention to represent the United Arab Emirates in international cricket after retiring from India and relocating to Dubai in June 2026. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter represented India in seven Test matches, including the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval, with his final appearance coming in a Test against England that concluded on February 5, 2024. Across those seven Tests, Bharat accumulated 221 runs at an average of 20.09 with a highest score of 44.

Bharat formally announced his retirement from international cricket on June 4, 2026, and has since joined the UAE cricket pathway. He is listed among 102 players in the International League T20 Development Tournament, which began on September 14, 2026. Participation in the development tournament requires players to declare their intention to represent the UAE in international cricket, according to tournament regulations.

“There’s so much cricket around the world, so I thought I would explore the leagues, and then if I get to play for some other country, why not? It was a very hard decision for me to make, but I thought I would still give myself an opportunity to play [in] the top leagues in the world, and then perform. And I obviously wanted to play more white-ball cricket, which I wasn’t getting in India,” said Bharat to The National.

“That is the main reason I had to move out of India. Yes, red ball is very important, but I thought I could also make a big difference in my white-ball cricket as well. That is the reason why I had to take this hard call. A hundred per cent, that’s the plan. And I want to do well; not just play, we want to win tournaments. That is the main goal,” he added.

Why Bharat left India for the UAE?

Bharat has already shown promise in UAE domestic cricket, scoring a couple of fifties since his arrival. He remains focused on achieving a significant milestone in the format. The development tournament offers him a platform to demonstrate his skills against quality opposition before the main ILT20 auction.

“After coming to UAE, I got a couple of 50s. Yes, that big score is waiting and I’m also looking to get that magic three-figure number. I’m really looking forward to get a contract, obviously, because that is something which gets me into the scheme of things again. This is a new start for me and I’ll be very grateful for any team [that selects him],” Bharat said.

Bharat’s move to the UAE follows a precedent set earlier in 2026 when Indian state cricketers Harpreet Bhatia and Akshdeep Nath were granted UAE citizenship and debuted for the national team. Harpreet was subsequently elevated to the captaincy. Other players including Ajay Kumar, Khuzaima Tanveer, Adeeb Usmani and Ibrar Ahmed have also been granted citizenship and made their debuts for the UAE. This pathway allows players to bypass the standard three-year cooling-off period between their last match for a former team and their first game for an adopted country if they obtain citizenship.

Bharat turns 33 on October 3, 2026, and views his UAE stint as an opportunity to extend his career and contribute to the development of UAE cricket. He aims to share his experience from his India career with younger UAE players. Each of the six ILT20 franchises is obliged to select four UAE-based players during the main auction, creating additional opportunities for locally-based cricketers. Bharat’s participation in the development tournament and subsequent auction represented his entry into a competitive domestic league structure in his adopted cricket home.