Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra, 40, has been a big name in the Indian Premier League over the years and has played for franchises like Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He is also the only bowler in the IPL to take three hat-tricks in the league, one for each franchise he has played for.
He also had a decent career for India, playing 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, picking a total of 156 wickets in a career that started in 2003 in an ODI against South Africa. He made his Test debut in 2008 against Australia and picked a fifer in an innings.
Mishra last played an international match for India in 2017. A constant presence in the IPL, he surprisingly went unsold in the IPL 2022 mega auction despite having 166 wickets in 154 matches in the competition at an economy of 7.36 and best of 5/17.
In a chat with PTI, Amit Mishra talked about retirement possibilities and was hopeful that a franchise will pick him up in the upcoming IPL 2023 auction.
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He said: “I have some 2-3 years of cricket left in me. I am keeping myself fit and my performance in domestic cricket last and this season have not been bad either. I am hopeful to be bought by a franchise (at this week’s IPL auction).”
He further added that he believes there is no dearth of leg-spinners in the country and he sees more of them breaking into the national side in the near future.
“Earlier, people thought that the utility of leg spin was diminishing down with the advent of T20 cricket. But they have been completely proved wrong. Leg spin is not just effective in Test cricket but it’s equally effective in limited-overs cricket.
Just look at the IPL. I being a leg spinner, along with Yuzvendra Chahal are the two most successful Indian bowlers in IPL history. So why not have more opportunities for the leg spinners in all formats of the game,” Mishra added.
“India has a big pool of leg spinners. We have quality spinners in domestic cricket. I do not want to take names but there are more than half a dozen leggies who have the potential to get into the Indian side,” he signed off.
(PTI inputs)
