‘Dhoni told me I don’t fit the combination, Virat said I’ll let you know but never did’ – Amit Mishra narrates story of his decline

Amit Mishra. (Photo Source: Amit Mishra/Instagram)

Former Indian spinner Amit Mishra;s journey in the national team was marked by lack of clear communication and missed opportunities. Mishra revealed his experiences under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli and the challenges players face in team selection.

Mishra made his debut under Anil Kumble’s captaincy and played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India. Despite picking 156 international wickets, his career was hindered by injuries and inconsistent selection as he could never secure a permanent spot in the Indian cricket team.

The leg spinner’s journey began in 2010, when despite claiming seven wickets and scoring a fifty against Bangladesh, he was excluded from the next match. Mishra revealed the lack of clear communication he experienced from his captains.

“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, and he told me that I don’t fit the combination,” he said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show ‘Unplugged’.

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I was told that I was being given a rest. I never asked for it: Amit Mishra

The veteran revealed that he was asked to take a rest despite him not even featuring in 10 Tests by then. He revealed that the coach had given an unclear picture about his future.

“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.

The situation didn’t improve under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. Mishra recounted a conversation with Kohli during an IPL match.

“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’,” he said.

“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 further added.

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One of the most disheartening moments for Mishra came when he suffered a knee injury. Despite being the Player of the Series in the previous tournament, he wasn’t given the automatic comeback that was customary for injured players.

“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,” concluded Mishra.