Former India spinner makes explosive statement after announcing retirement

Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra has opened up with a candid statement after announcing his retirement from competitive cricket.

Mishra’s international career unfolded in two phases. In the beginning, he bore the heavy burden of succeeding the legendary Anil Kumble. Later, he faced stiff competition from Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja—one an off-spinner and the other a left-arm orthodox—who became the preferred choices of captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. As Test cricket evolved, Mishra’s 76 wickets in 22 matches hardly reflected his true ability as a bowler known for his sharp leg-breaks and deceptive googlies. More often than not, he was relegated to the third option behind Ashwin and Jadeja.

“It was very disappointing. Sometimes you’re in the squad, sometimes you’re not. Sometimes you make the playing XI, sometimes you don’t. Naturally, it was frustrating, and I felt that many times,” Mishra said after confirming his retirement. “But then I reminded myself that playing for India was my dream. Being part of the national team itself is special, and I tried to stay positive.”

The constant in-and-out did take a mental toll, but Mishra said he chose to focus on self-improvement. “Whenever frustration set in, I thought about how I could get better—fitness, batting, or bowling. I never stopped working hard. Whenever I got an opportunity, I performed, and I’m proud of that.”

Yet, even when he bowled well, someone else often stole the limelight—Ashwin and Jadeja in Tests, or Yuzvendra Chahal in T20s. Ironically, Mishra’s last international outing came in a T20I against England at Bengaluru in 2017, where his figures of 1/23 in four overs on a batting-friendly pitch were impressive. But in the same match, Chahal took 6/25, and Mishra was never picked for India again, despite being an IPL stalwart with 174 wickets in 162 matches, including a hat-trick in the tournament’s inaugural season.

He credited the IPL for reviving his India career. “The turning point was my hat-trick in 2008, where I also picked up five wickets in the match. Before that, I was doing well in domestic cricket, but couldn’t break into the national side. That IPL performance changed everything and led to my comeback.”

Mishra also acknowledged that captains naturally favor certain players. 

“Some players are captain’s favorites, and that’s fine. Your job is to prove yourself when given a chance. If someone is performing better, he will be picked. But once you deliver consistently, things turn in your favor," said Mishra.