Veteran India leg-spinner Amit Mishra called time on his cricket career earlier this week. Having last played for India in 2017, the 42-year-old Haryana cricketer continued to feature in the IPL until the 2024 edition. Mishra represented India in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. His Test career yielded 76 wickets, while in ODIs he claimed 64 scalps. During an interview following his retirement announcement, Mishra reflected on his journey to the Indian national team. He said the senior players were extremely helpful and supportive.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Mishra recalled how former India pacer Javagal Srinath, who was part of the team when Mishra was first called up in 2003, interacted with him.
"Srinath was very helpful to me. I remember this one time when I entered the team, Srinath told me in his broken Hindi: 'Haan bhai aa gaya desi chore. Laya kuch ghee wagera hamare liye? (The desi boy has come. Have you got something for us? Like ghee or anything else).' Everyone was very good to me," Mishra told RevSportz.
Mishra was a classical leg-break bowler who made his Test debut against Australia in 2008-five years after his international debut in an ODI against South Africa in 2003.
With Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble dominating the spin department at the time, Mishra had to wait for his Test cap.
His Test debut was a memorable one, as he took a five-wicket haul in the first innings and followed it up with a couple more wickets in the second. It turned out to be his only five-wicket haul in the traditional format.
Mishra's last competitive game came for the Lucknow Super Giants during the 2024 IPL season. His international career began to stall after the emergence of R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
He had a distinguished first-class career, taking 535 wickets. In addition, he collected 252 wickets in List A cricket and 285 in T20s.
In the IPL alone, Mishra took 166 wickets at an impressive average of 23.98 and a respectable economy rate of 7.36. He represented four teams: Deccan Chargers, SunRisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants.
He remains the only bowler to have taken three hat-tricks in the IPL.
(With PTI inputs