Kona Srikar Bharat or KS Bharat is currently the most talked about name when it comes to wicketkeeper-batsmen in domestic Indian cricket. With MS Dhoni having retired from Tests in 2014 an Wriddhiman Saha currently injured, the spot for a genuine wicketkeeper-batsman has opened up in the national team.

India has tried out two options by going back to Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik and they disappointed in both aspects of the discipline. Young Rishabh Pant has done the best he can for a 20-year-old keeper, but he has a learning curve ahead of him for the future.

However, one keeper-batsman who is making waves is Andhra Pradesh’s KS Bharat. "I used to do it in practice, but never kept in any state team till I was 19. Not even one over. I played for the state team for nearly ten years, but my last year, in the [Under] 19s, is when I started. I kept in two games - one full match and one in the second innings. That is when I came into Ranji cricket. There was a need for a keeper who could bat, so my association supported me," Bharat says in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.com.

Bharat has been India A's designated wicketkeeper during their last three series, and it has been suggested that he is in the scheme of things for the Australia series later this year.

KS Bharat came into prominence when he scored a triple hundred- the first one by any wicketkeeper in Ranji Trophy, against Goa in 2015 season.

Bharat gave much credit to his coach at the Centre of Excellence in Visakhapatnam, Krishna Rao. Bharat says, "He told me that there'll be a time when India will hunt for wicketkeepers, and I'll be in that race. I've never believed my coach, to be honest. But it was nice to hear and I agreed reluctantly and continued, I could get on with the game and skip some college in the process! [Then] I started taking the game seriously, I started respecting the [wicketkeeping] gloves. I never believed that with wicketkeeping, I can come so far. Whatever he has told me is actually coming true. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be having this chat."

Bharat has also admitted the influence of Andhra legend MSK Prasad, who also played for India, was the director of the association and is the current chairman of selectors for the Indian team.

Bharat reveals, "MSK anna is someone who spoke to me regarding how things work. To my luck, Krishna Rao worked with him, so whatever MSK anna told him [about keeping], he used to tell me. How he would work, how he would take catches, that sort of thing. He told me he was a gem of a keeper and wouldn't allow even a single ball to pass. And told me of how he used to adjust to the pitch."

Bharat also speaks about the specific training methods he had adopted to strengthen his craft.

"I've made my lower body strong and I can hold my shape while getting up with the ball, which is very important for a keeper. I rate a keeper on how well he does against spin," he says. "Only if you can hold your weight, only if you hold your position, you can be good against spinners.”

He adds, "So I've worked a lot on the Katchet board, one-bounce, holding the shape, getting a feel of it. It's in my subconscious - with the ball pitching, I know how and when to get up and what position to be in. I've done a lot of work on my basic getting up. Lots of keepers tend to get up early."

"Do I believe [I can play for India]? Yes. I'm capable of playing for India. Whether the selectors think of me or what others think of me, about how long I haven't scored a hundred - those things don't matter," Bharat says his chances to play for the national team.

Talking about his batting, Bharat says, "I started trying too hard. Instead of enjoying the game, I became a little performance-oriented. I was always looking for a hundred. Anything less than hundred was a failure for me. I've scored around 17 fifties, so [I've contributed with the bat but] my conversion rate has come down. I'm blessed to be a two-dimensional player. There'll be 6-7 batters, and not all can have a good day. But there's only one keeper. If you've failed to have a good day with the bat and you keep thinking about it, then you're letting your team down. So I don't want that to happen. I allow myself to have a bad day. It's okay."

In the conclusion, Bharat spoke about his contemporaries, "I would love for Rishabh to perform, DK anna to perform. I want to perform more and break in. I don't want them to fail and then fit into their shoes. If they get a hundred, I'd like to get 150. That's how I want it to be. I'm not waiting for someone to fail there and get my chance."

(with inputs from ESPNCricinfo.com)