Delhi Capitals' (DC) veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra troubled the Mumbai Indians (MI) batsmen in their clash on Tuesday (April 20). Mishra picked up 4/24 which helped DC register a win over MI by 6 wickets.
Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag recalled Mishra's first IPL hat-trick while playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) back in 2008. Sehwag said the leggie had asked for a salary hike after his superb bowling performance against Deccan Chargers.
"He is [Amit Mishra] a kind of guy who is very calm and talks gently to everybody. He gets to mingle with everyone pretty quickly. So that’s why he becomes the favorite of his teammates. When he gets beaten, other players feel for him. And when takes wickets, all are happy for him.
"I remember when he claimed his first hat-trick. I asked him what do you want and he said ‘Viru Bhai, please get my salary increased.’ Now, I feel, he would be getting that much amount of money that he won’t ask for a raise even after getting another hat-trick," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
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Mishra has picked up three hat-tricks, which is the most in the IPL. He was a headache for Mumbai's batsmen at Chepauk pitch which is suited for the slow bowlers.
“Mishra seemed nervous during his over in powerplay. He got hit by Suryakumar Yadav hit for boundaries over covers. But when the powerplay ended, Mishra Ji also came back strong because once the field is spread, he also feels that he can bowl at a normal pace on which the batters have to take the risk.
“He bowled really well. That’s why he is one of the best bowlers of this tournament. He has the most wickets as a spinner. Had Rohit Sharma played his normal game against him, he could have scored 60-70 runs easily,” Sehwag added.
The 38-year-old removed Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Ishan Kishan; all the four threatening batsmen.
“Amit Mishra knew that when Hardik Pandya plays spin, he simply attacks. If gets the ball in his area, he looks to smash it. If it’s his day, he whacks a maximum, or else he will get out.
"So, Mishra is wise enough to judge if a batsman like Pandya goes after him, who will he bowl or what variation does he need to make. Mishra accepts challenges no matter who the batsman he is bowling at,” Sehwag said.
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)
