Speaking on YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra’s show ‘Unplugged,’ he shared some painful memories from his cricketing career.
Mishra played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India, taking a total of 156 wickets across formats. However, his career ended on a sour note, leaving him with several bitter memories. He explained that personal rapport and team selection dynamics significantly influenced his career progression.”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 revealed.
He recalled being told that he was being given rest, although he never asked for it.
“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 said.
Mishra’s situation did not improve even after Virat Kohli succeeded Dhoni as captain. Despite his good performances, he found himself sidelined again.
“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,” Mishra shared.
He also mentioned an incident during the IPL when he tried to get clarity on his future from Kohli.
“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,” Mishra revealed.
These revelations from Mishra highlight the intricate dynamics within a cricket team and the emotional battles that players undergo in their professional journeys.