With no cricketing actions in near sight, the lockdown has given a much-needed respite to Indian cricketers from demanding schedules and strenuous tours to faraway places that otherwise fill the significant part of the calendar year.
Former Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who leads the spin department of Delhi-based franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has revealed a lot about himself in a recent online session premiered on Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Twitter account.
From naming his favourite batsman to revealing about his most memorable matches, Mishra answered a barrage of questions thrown at him.
For the Delhi-born spinner, his debut Test against Australia in 2008 happens to be his favourite match. Mishra’s inclusion in the Indian team came after a long, arduous wait of five years since getting the last call from Team India in 2002. Adding to that, the tremendous pressure to fill seemingly-irreplaceable shoes of Anil Kumble was weighing a little too heavy on the debutant’s shoulder.
However, against all the odds, Mishra overcome those challenges with flying colours as he played a vital role in India’s triumph. In a rank-turner at Mohali, the 37-year old finished the match with seven wickets to his name. He was adjudged as the ‘Man of the Match’ for his impressive performance.
On being asked about his favourite batsman from the current generation, Mishra, unsurprisingly, named both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Further, when it comes to all-time favourites, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were his picks.
Mishra has a notable distinction of taking a whopping three hat-tricks in the cash-rich league. Only Lasith Malinga (170 wickets) has taken more wickets than the 37-year-old leg-spinner (157 wickets).
When quizzed about his favourite bowler, Mishra said that as a spinner, Shane Warne and Kumble has always been his inspiration. Although, for Mishra, Kumble ranks higher than Warne as the former is the one he has watched and tried to emulate while growing up.
