Veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra has expressed his disappointment on not being able to secure a permanent spot in the Indian cricket team.
Once touted as the leader of India’s spin department in Test cricket, Mishra fell down in the pecking order with the arrival of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Later on, the brilliance of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal kept him out of the white-ball setup.
Speaking on YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra's show 'Unplugged,' Mishra explained how personal rapport and team selection dynamics influenced his career significantly.
The 41-year-old represented India in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, claiming a total of 156 wickets across formats.
"Being liked matters a lot in team selection. Just playing good cricket isn't enough. The captain always decides the Playing XI. I had an excellent rapport with MS Dhoni. I asked him twice why I wasn't getting picked, he told me that I don't fit the combination," Mishra said.
"I was told that I was being given a rest. I never asked for it. I hadn't even played 10 Test matches by then, why would I ask for a rest or break? If I have to tell you honestly, I wasn't in a position [to question Dhoni]. Yes, I asked the coach, and he told me to go ask Dhoni, but like I said, I wasn't in that position to go and ask Dhoni. I asked the coach again and he just said we are giving you rest," he added.
Mishra's situation remained the same even after the leadership baton was passed from Dhoni to Virat Kohli.
"The worst I've felt in my career was when I picked up a knee injury five years ago. It happened in between the match. The series before I was the Man of the Series and the Man of the Match against New Zealand. And this used to be the rule back then, not sure if it still happens, but if you get injured while playing, you are given an automatic comeback. It happened with Wriddhiman Saha, Anil Kumble, and Hardik Pandya, but I never got it," he stated.
Amit Mishra also narrated an incident when he tried to get clarity on his future from Kohli during the IPL.
"During the IPL, our last match was against RCB. I asked him to give a clear picture about my career. He said 'Mishy bhai, I'll ask and let you know'. Virat Kohli helped me in my comeback series against Sri Lanka – 2016. I was doing well and India needed a leg-spinner who could bowl in Sri Lanka. When I came back, he said, 'from today, you will train for fitness with me'. I told him I can't lift weights like you but I can run and whatever else you want. Then I got injured so I asked him again, but I never got a clear answer. I messaged him. He read the text and said 'I'll let you know' but never did," he remarked.
