42-year-old veteran spinner Amit Mishra finally announced his retirement from professional cricket, marking an end to his 25-year-long career. Amit Mishra's career was marked by both impressive highs and challenging lows. He candidly shared that he had battled depression during a five-year period when he was sidelined from the national team, expressing a wish that his comeback could have happened sooner.
I could have played more matches: Amit Mishra on his career gap
Mishra made his ODI debut in 2003 against South Africa in Dhaka. He made a solid start, taking the wicket of Neil McKenzie and finishing with figures of 1/29 in his five overs. However, following his debut, he faced a significant setback, spending the next five years on the sidelines. During this time, the formidable presence of two of India's top spinners, Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, made it difficult for him to secure a spot in the squad.
Mishra's return to international cricket came in 2008 when an injury to Kumble finally opened a door for him. He seized the opportunity, making a memorable Test debut against Australia in Mohali. In a remarkable performance, he became just the sixth Indian to take a five-wicket haul in his debut match. His classical, attacking leg-spin proved a major challenge for the Australian batsmen, as he dismissed key players like Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, and Shane Watson. This outstanding performance cemented his position as India's premier leg-spinner.
"After my debut, there was a 5-year gap in my career. If it wasn't there, I could have played more matches. I made my debut in Bangladesh in a One-Day match in 2003. After that, there was a 5-year gap. I couldn't return to the Indian team in five years. I was performing and doing everything. But I can't say regret. I can say that if I had made my comeback earlier, 3-4 years ago or two years ago, then I could have played more matches and performed better. So, that's one thing. There is no regret," Mishra told ΑΝΙ.
While on the sidelines of international cricket, Mishra dedicated himself to playing domestic cricket for Haryana. He used this time to sharpen his skills and improve his performance, with the constant hope of once again catching the attention of the national selectors. Even after facing a long period of uncertainty about his return to the international stage, which included a year-long battle with depression, Mishra has maintained that he has no regrets about his career. Mishra's career concluded with an impressive tally of 156 wickets from 68 matches across all formats of international cricket. He remained a vital player for his domestic team, Haryana, and carved out a legacy in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he became one of the leading wicket-takers in the history of the tournament.
"Whenever I got a chance, I performed. Even though I played in such a big league, played in such big places, played all over the world, I proved myself there. I performed there when people didn't believe in me. After that, every team started to keep two left-spinners in their team. So, I am really happy with my career. Yes, there were ups and downs in my career," he added.
"But I have no regrets. I gave my 100 per cent whenever I got a chance. And I always proved what I was told. I focused on performing. Although I was depressed for 1-1.5 years. I was angry. I was performing. At that time, it was a little limited. But I was a little worried. But after 1-2 years, I talked to myself. I said, I want to play cricket. I am playing cricket. And I am performing.
"So, how can I enhance this? What else can I add to my cricket? How can I improve my small performance? So, I started to pay attention to those things. I started talking to myself. I asked myself what improvements I have made. So, a person who loves cricket should never be depressed. Now, you have more options. So, I started to pay attention to that. I started to enjoy cricket and I got motivated," Mishra concluded.