Who is BR Sharath? 5 interesting facts about GT's newest signing for IPL 2024

BR Sharath, the talented wicketkeeper-batter from Karnataka, has been roped in by the Gujarat Titans (GT) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He replaced Robin Minz, who will miss the entire season due to a bike accident earlier this month.

It will certainly be an incredible opportunity for Sharath, as he has been churning out runs and displaying his wicketkeeping skills on the domestic circuit for the last few years. He will be a backup option for veteran glovesman, Wriddhiman Saha.

Since making his debut across all formats in 2018, the 27-year-old has represented Karnataka in 20 first-class, 28 T20s, and 43 List-A games.

On that note, let's check out five interesting facts about BR Sharath, which are not known to many in the cricket fraternity:

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1) Received best batter award by KSCA in 2016

BR Sharath received the award for being the best batter in 2016 from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). This was due to his impressive performances in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Cooch Behar Trophy.

Sharath accumulated 292 runs in six games of the Cooch Behar Trophy, with a top score of 103. Meanwhile, he amassed 175 runs in four games at an average of 43.75 in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.

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2) BR Sharath slammed a century on his Ranji debut

Sharath made his first-class debut on November 12, 2018, against eventual champions Vidarbha. Undeterred by the prowess of the opposition's bowling unit, the right-hander delivered a sensible knock, scoring 103 off 161 balls.

It was after nearly two decades that the Karnataka batter hit a century on his Ranji debut. Barrington Rowland reached the three-figure mark in 1999 against Kerala.

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3) Replaced CM Gautam as a first-choice keeper

CM Gautam is regarded as one of the legends of Karnataka in the Indian domestic circuit. In 97 first-class games, Gautam scored close to 5,000 runs at an average of 40.27, with a top score of 264*. He contributed over 1,200 runs in 58 List-A games. Moreover, he was quite skilled behind the stumps, and needed a quality player to replace him.

Then arrived, Sharath, who made good use of his form in the U-19 and U-23 to find a place in the Karnataka state side across all formats. Meanwhile, Gautam went on to represent Goa in the latter part of his career.

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4) Captained Indian U-23 side in 2019

BR Sharath received a call-up to the Indian U-23 side for the five-match series against Bangladesh. He scored 116 runs in three games at an average of 38.66, and played a key role in India's 3-1 series win.

Impressed by Sharath's performances, selectors announced him as captain of the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019. He slammed 198 runs in four games at an average of 49.50 to take the team to the semi-finals.

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5) Struck a century in Maharaja T20 Trophy 2023

In the fifth game of the 2023 Maharaja T20 Trophy, BR Sharath tormented the bowlers all around the park to hit 111* off 63 balls for the Mangalore Dragons against the Mysuru Warriors. His performance helped Dragons chase down the target of 202 runs in the 19th over.

Sharath finished with 283 runs in 10 innings at an average of 31.44 and a strike rate of 169.46 in the last edition of the tournament.