"Some players are captain's favorites" - Amit Mishra's stunning claim on lack of playing opportunities as he announces retirement

Amit Mishra, who announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Thursday (September 4), has claimed there was selection bias during his playing career with the national team. While sharing his outburst, the leg-spinner alleged that some players got the opportunities because they were the captain’s favorite. The 38-year-old added that despite facing the odds, he never shied away from hard work in his limited opportunities with the Men in Blue.

Mishra made his India debut (ODI) against South Africa in 2003. The Delhi-born player played his last game (T20I) against England in 2017. He mostly remained in and out of the national side during his career, managing 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, bagging 156 wickets across formats.

Speaking to PTI, Amit Mishra said (via Hindustan Times):

“It was a very disappointing thing. Sometimes you're in the team, sometimes you're out. Sometimes you get a chance in the playing eleven, sometimes you don't. Of course, it's frustrating, and I was frustrated many times, no doubt. Some players are captain's favourites. But that doesn't matter much. You just have to prove yourself whenever you get a chance.”

“Whenever I was frustrated, I thought about what I could improve on. Whether it was my fitness, batting, or bowling, I always focused on getting better. Whenever I got a chance to play for the Indian team, I performed well, and I'm very happy about that. I never shied away from hard work," he added.

Notably, Amit Mishra played the majority of games under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, 52 international appearances under them.

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“Defining moment” – Amit Mishra credits IPL for his national comeback

Amit Mishra further added that his hat-trick in the inaugural 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) helped him earn his place back in the national team. That year, he bagged 11 wickets in six games at an economy rate of 6.90.

Notably, Mishra managed to play just three ODIs in 2003. He then made his Test debut, making his return to the national side across any format after a five-year gap in 2008. The senior spinner said in the same interaction:

“I'd say the defining moment was the hat-trick I took in the 2008 IPL, where I also took five wickets in the match. From there, I made a comeback to the Indian team. Before that, I was consistently performing well in domestic cricket, taking 35-45 wickets every season, but I couldn't get back into the national team.”

“That IPL hat-trick changed things for me. I had also performed well in Syed Mushtaq Ali the preceding year, taking 25 wickets, which helped me get an IPL contract (Delhi Daredevils). After that hat-trick, I was back in the Indian team continuously and my career in T-20 also started. So, that hat-trick with five wickets in 2008 will be a defining moment of my life,” he added.

For the unversed, Amit Mishra holds the record for most IPL hat-tricks (3), two against now-defunct Deccan Chargers (2008 and 2011) and one against now-defunct Pune Warriors India (2013). He finished as one of the leading wicket-takers in the T20 league with 174 scalps in 162 games at an economy rate of 7.37.