Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra is an Indian leg spinner who plays for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. He was born on November 24, 1982, and hails from Delhi. He has played for the Indian cricket team in 68 games across all formats and has represented numerous franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mishra is an attacking right-arm leg-break bowler and can also prove to be a tail-ender batter when called upon. An accurate bowler, he relies on the flight of the ball and a big leg-break, which is his stock delivery. He also surprises batters with his unorthodox googly. As a leg spinner, he is not dependent on the pitch to turn the ball and employs his wrists to rip the sphere.

Amit Mishra: Along the Years

Amit Mishra Records

• Sixth Indian to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut

• First spinner to take a hat-trick in IPL

• Second bowler to take a hat-trick in IPL 

• Stitched a record-highest partnership for the eighth wicket in Ranji Trophy history with Jayant Yadav (392)

• First player in IPL history to take three hat-tricks 

• Joint-most wickets in a bilateral ODI series (18)

• Fifth-most wickets by a spinner in IPL history (174)

• Oldest bowler to take a wicket in IPL 2023 (40 years and 130 days)

• Seventh-highest wicket-taker in IPL history (174)

Amit Mishra Awards

• Player Of The Series in New Zealand’s tour of India ODI Series 2016

Amit Mishra Career

Amit Mishra started off his career as a top-order batter but later went on to break records as an established leg spinner. He has a stellar domestic record and has been an IPL giant, thanks to his fruitful leg-break. His longevity of nearly 24 years is nothing short of motivational and has proved time and again that age is just a number.

Amit Mishra Domestic Career

Amit Mishra made his first-class (FC) debut in the 2000-01 season. After being overlooked by the Delhi team, he moved to Haryana which needed a leg spinner at that time. He made his List-A debut in the 2001-02 season. On April 03, 2007, Mishra made his T20 debut for Haryana against Punjab in the Inter-State T20 Tournament in Delhi. He was economical with the ball and got the wicket of Bipul Sharma for a duck.

Surprisingly, Mishra started as a batter and his ability to turn the ball was honed by his mentor and coach Sanjay Bhardwaj. Even when playing for the Under 17 team, he performed better with the bat than the ball.

In the 2012-13 season of the Ranji Trophy, Mishra unleashed his batting prowess when he scored his maiden FC double hundred. He scored an unbeaten 202 while captaining his side and stitched a humongous 392-run partnership with fellow double-centurion Jayant Yadav. The duo recorded the highest partnership for the eighth wicket in Ranji Trophy history and rescued Haryana from faltering at 168 for the loss of 7 wickets at one stage.

He has been rock solid in the domestic circuit, picking up 535 FC wickets in 152 games with 21 five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match haul as well. In List-A cricket, the 41-year-old leggie has 252 wickets in 152 games to his name. 

Mishra has also represented the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the now-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2009-10 season. He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the CLT20 2013-14 season but only managed to pick up a couple of wickets in 6 games. 

Amit Mishra IPL Career

Amit Mishra has had an evergreen IPL career and has bossed the mega tournament with ease. Mishra has played for the likes of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and currently plies trade for the latter in the Indian Premier League.

In the inaugural edition of the cash-rich league, the wily leg-spinner was snaffled up by the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and picked up the wickets of opener Graeme Smith and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. 

Mishra bagged his first IPL hat trick against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. He got the priced wickets of Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs in his first spell. In his second spell, he took a hat-trick in the final over, with the victims being Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha, and RP Singh. Thus, he scalped his maiden and only five-wicket haul in IPL and became the first spinner and second bowler after Lakshmipathy Balaji to bag a hat-trick in IPL. 

The Chargers acquired the services of Mishra in the IPL 2011 auction. In their league game against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Mishra recorded his second IPL hat-trick by scalping the wickets of Ryan McLaren, Mandeep Singh, and Ryan Harris. After the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) took over the franchise, he was drafted into the team in 2013. 

Mishra enjoyed his career-best season in the Hyderabad-based franchise’s maiden campaign. He picked up 21 wickets in 17 games at an average of 18.76 and an economy of 6.35. He bagged a record third hat-trick against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI) and picked up four wickets in an over. The spell included the wickets of PWI skipper Angelo Mathews and tail-enders Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Sharma, and Ashok Dinda as the hat-trick victims. He was awarded the ‘Player Of The Match’ for not only picking up the hat-trick but also scoring vital 30 runs with the bat lower down the order as SRH defended a paltry 119 and won by 11 runs. 

In the IPL 2015 auction, Mishra was bought back by the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He played a total of 7 seasons consecutively for the Daredevils/Capitals and picked up 64 wickets in his return to the Delhi-based franchise. He was released ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction and found no takers for the IPL 2022 season. 

However, the Lucknow Super Giants franchise signed the Delhi-born leggie for INR 50 lakhs in the IPL 2023 auction. He picked a total of 7 wickets in 7 innings at an economy of 7.84. At 40 years and 130 days, he became the oldest bowler to pick a wicket in that edition, by dismissing Washington Sundar and Adil Rashid of the Sunrisers. He played a solitary game for LSG in IPL 2024.

Mishra is now in the top ten in the list of leading wicket-takers in IPL history and is only behind Yuzvendra Chahal, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the list of leading wicket-takers amongst spinners in IPL’s rich history.

Amit Mishra International Career

Though Amit Mishra is renowned for his domestic performances and decorated IPL career, he could not quite convert his form into international cricket. However, in the given opportunities, the Delhi-born spinner has had pretty noteworthy performances with the ball and decent contributions with the bat as well.

He rose to prominence after the retirement of Anil Kumble and was a regular in the Indian team in 2011. However, Mishra has been often overshadowed by better bowlers like the aforementioned Anil Kumble, and Harbhajan Singh and later by the rise of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Amit Mishra ODI Career

A month after India’s thumping defeat to Australia in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, Amit Mishra was called up for the TVS Cup held in Bangladesh, a tri-series involving Bangladesh, India, and South Africa. He made his ODI debut on April 13, 2003, against South Africa at Dhaka. He managed to get a wicket, in the form of SA batter Neil McKenzie, in the game which India won by 153 runs.

Mishra was slotted in to represent India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. He played a couple of matches and picked up two wickets as India crashed out in the group stage itself. Post his career-best season in IPL 2013, Mishra was once again named in the 15-member provisional squad to play for India at the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. In a tournament where India went unbeaten and was crowned champions, he warmed the bench and did not get to play a single game. 

A month after basking in the glory of a thrilling Champions Trophy victory and a Tri-Nation series victory (involving West Indies and Sri Lanka), India toured Zimbabwe for a five-match bilateral ODI series. Mishra was recalled to the Indian ODI squad and unleashed his best. He was part of the historic 5-0 whitewash of an away team in a bilateral ODI series, a first of its kind for the Indian team. He ended the series as the leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 11.61. Mishra also picked his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in the fifth and final ODI and registered his career-best ODI figures of 6/48. 

In the Asia Cup of 2014, Mishra conceded only 28 runs from his ten overs and took two wickets. Mishra bagged his second five-wicket haul in the series decider of New Zealand’s tour of India in 2016. New Zealand skittled out for a paltry 79 when asked to chase 270 and Mishra returned with figures of 5/18. He picked up 15 wickets in the five-match ODI series and was awarded the ‘Player Of The Series.’ Surprisingly, Mishra has never featured in an ODI since but has yet to retire from international cricket. 

Amit Mishra Test Career

Amit Mishra was called up to play for the test team in 2002 against West Indies but did not make the playing XI. He made his Test debut almost 6 years later in 2008, against Australia at Mohali. He scalped 5 wickets in the first innings, helping India restrict Australia and eventually win the match. He also became the sixth Indian to pick up a five-wicket haul on his Test debut. India’s two best spinners of all time, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, were playing in their prime at that period, and there was no space to accommodate Mishra. 

The 41-year-old leggie has scored vital runs lower down the order and has accumulated four half-centuries with the bat. In the first Test of India’s tour of Bangladesh in January 2010, Mishra came in as a night watchman and scored his maiden half-century. In the fourth Test of India’s tour of England in 2011, he registered his personal best of 84 coming in at No. 5.. Mishra last featured in a Test against the same opponents in Chennai in December 2016.

Amit Mishra T20I Career

Amit Mishra made his T20I debut for the Indian cricket team on June 13, 2010, against Zimbabwe in India’s tour of Zimbabwe. He picked up his maiden T20I wicket in the form of Zimbabwean opener Brendan Taylor. Mishra’s career-best IPL season for the Sunrisers saw him being selected for the ICC World T20 2014 as a spinner alongside Ravichandran Ashwin for the spin tracks of Bangladesh. 

He finished the tournament as India’s second-highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets in 6 innings, one short of Ashwin’s tally of 11 wickets. Mishra was adjudged the ‘Player Of The Match’ in India’s opening games against Pakistan and West Indies respectively. He picked up a three-wicket haul against hosts Bangladesh and was part of the playing XI in the final against Sri Lanka. He managed to pick the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne, but unfortunately, the target was too low to be defended and India finished as runners-up. 

Amit Mishra Under-19 Career

Amit Mishra started his Under-17 days as a batter before dedicating his career to spin bowling. According to The Times of India, he had disclosed the fact that he had committed age fraud to play Under-19 cricket following his coach’s direction.

Amit Mishra Captaincy

Amit Mishra has captained the Haryana team in the Ranji Trophy. He scored his maiden double century in FC cricket against Karnataka while leading the side in the Ranji Trophy 2012-13 season.

Amit Mishra Cars

According to The Economic Times, Amit Mishra initially owned a Maruti Esteem before owning a Mercedes GLC Coupe AMG. He has also owned a luxurious car collection in the form of Honda City, Toyota Fortuner, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Santro in his garage.