Overview:
He struggled with depression but found ways to keep himself motivated.
Amit Mishra, who has retired from all forms of cricket, has opened up on his battle with depression after he was not selected for five years following his debut. He played his first ODI for the Men in Blue against South Africa in 2003. Amit Mishra bowled five overs and took the wicket of McKenzie, conceding 29 runs. However, he was forgotten for five years due to the rise of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble’s strong presence. He returned to the national team after Kumble sustained an injury. Mishra took seven wickets in a Test against Australia in Mohali and became
Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Shane Watson and others couldn’t play Mishra, and the leg-spinner showed his talent in the first outing. Although he refused to blame anyone for his absence, he felt there was a chance for him to play more matches for the country.
“There was a five-year gap after my debut. I could have played more matches. I played my first game in Bangladesh in 2003, but then I was not considered for five years. I was performing, but there was no place for me. I don’t regret. I could have performed better had I been included in the team,” he told IANS.
During the five years, Mishra continued to play for Haryana in domestic cricket with the hope of returning to the India National Cricket Team.
“I performed whenever I was given a chance. I gave my best everywhere despite people not trusting me. I am happy with my career, and ups and downs are part and parcel of the game,” he added.
He struggled with depression but found ways to keep himself motivated. “I was depressed for more than a year. I was angry, but started motivating myself as I was performing well. I started focusing on my game and worked towards improving as a bowler. I started enjoying cricket and got motivated.”
Amit Mishra played 65 matches for India across formats and took 156 wickets.