Kathmandu Gorkhas have signed former India wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat as their first foreign recruit for the third edition of the Nepal Premier League, the franchise confirmed this week. Bharat joins a Gorkhas squad that already features Rashid Khan among its overseas contingent, giving the side another experienced international name ahead of the October 26 start.

Bharat played seven Tests for India before retiring from international cricket in June this year, closing out a career built primarily on his work behind the stumps and with the bat in Indian domestic cricket. He has scored more than 6,000 runs in first-class cricket, a body of work that made him a fixture in India's Test wicketkeeping conversation for several seasons even without a long run in the XI.

On the franchise circuit, Bharat has previously featured in the Indian Premier League for Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, giving him T20 experience at a high level heading into his first NPL season.

His retirement from international duty in June effectively cleared his calendar for exactly this kind of franchise commitment, and Kathmandu Gorkhas moving quickly to bring him in suggests the club sees him as a keeper-batsman option to build around rather than a marquee overseas headline signing.

NPL Season 3 is set to run from October 26 in Kathmandu.

Related reading: NPL 2026 Teams | Kathmandu Gorkhas Squad | NPL 2026 Schedule