Amit Mishra recounts his decline: ‘Dhoni told me I don’t match the combo, Virat said I’ll let you know but never did’

Amit Mishra, the former Indian spinner, had a difficult time communicating with teammates and missing opportunities during his time with the national team. Mishra discussed the difficulties players encounter when choosing their teams, as well as his experiences playing under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.

Mishra played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India after making his debut under Anil Kumble’s captaincy. His career was hampered by injuries and inconsistent selection, even though he amassed 156 wickets in international cricket but was never able to lock down a regular berth in the Indian squad.

The leg spinner’s career started in 2010, when he was left out of the following game against Bangladesh even after taking seven wickets and hitting fifty. Mishra talked about how his captains didn’t always communicate with him clearly.

“Having friends is a big factor when choosing a team. Being a good cricket player is not enough. The playing eleven is always chosen by the captain. I got along really well with MS Dhoni. “On Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show ‘Unplugged,’ I asked him twice why I wasn’t getting picked, and he told me that I don’t fit the combination,” the man stated.

I was informed that I was getting a break. I never made a request for it: Amit Mishra

The veteran disclosed that, even though he had not yet appeared in ten Test matches, he was requested to take a break. He disclosed that the coach had provided an ambiguous image of his future.

“I was informed that I was getting a break. I never made a request for it. Why would I request a break or rest when I hadn’t even played ten Test matches at that point? I was not in a position to question Dhoni, if I must be honest with you. Yes, I did question the coach, and he advised me to speak with Dhoni; however, as I previously stated, I wasn’t in a position to do so. The coach responded, “We are giving you rest,” when I questioned him again.

Not that things got much better with Virat Kohli leading the team. Mishra related an IPL conversation he had with Kohli.

“We played RCB in our final IPL encounter. I requested that he provide a detailed overview of my work. ‘Mishy bhai, I’ll ask and let you know,’ he said. In my 2016 comeback series against Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli was a big assistance. India needed a leg-spinner who could bowl in Sri Lanka, and I was doing well. He told me, “You will train for fitness with me starting today,” when I got back.

“I told him I could run and do anything else you wanted to do, but I can’t lift weights like you can. I asked him again after I was hurt, but I never received a satisfactory response. I sent him a message. He responded, ‘I’ll let you know,’ after reading the book, but he never did,” he continued.

Mishra experienced a great deal of discouragement when he sustained a knee ailment. Even though he had won Player of the Series in the last competition, injured players were not granted the automatic return.

Also Read: Amit Mishra on Sanjeev Goenka-KL Rahul’s IPL 2024 episode: ‘It was not a great event, people and media inflated it’

“My knee injury five years ago was the worst I’ve ever felt in my career. It took place in between the games. Prior to me, in the series against New Zealand, I was named Man of the Series and Man of the Match. And back then, if you got hurt while playing, you automatically made a comeback. I’m not sure if this still applies. I never understood that, but it happened with Wriddhiman Saha, Anil Kumble, and Hardik Pandya,” Mishra said in conclusion.