"I am hopeful to be bought by a franchise at this week’s IPL auction" - Amit Mishra
Veteran Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra is hopeful of finding a franchise during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on December 23rd in Kochi. Mishra claimed that he still has a few years of cricket left in him and expressed his interest in coaching.
The 40-year-old wrist-spinner is one of the highest wicket-takers in IPL history, bagging 166 scalps in 154 matches at 23.95, making him the joint-highest among Indian players alongside Yuzvendra Chahal. Having started his IPL career since the tournament's inception, he is also the only bowler to take three IPL hat-tricks.
IPL 2023 auction date is out 🏏🔥
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Speaking to PTI, the former Delhi Capitals' spinner declared that he hasn't thought of retiring any time soon.
"I have some 2-3 years of cricket left in me. I am keeping myself fit and my performance in domestic cricket last and this season have not been bad either. I am hopeful to be bought by a franchise at this week’s IPL auction."
Amit Mishra recently represented Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking ten scalps in eight games at a decent average of 16.50. Although he hasn't played in the cash-rich league since IPL 2021, he still believes wrist-spin can be impactful in white-ball cricket.
"Leg spin is not just effective in Test cricket but it’s equally effective in limited-overs cricket" - Amit Mishra
The Delhi-born player played down the narrative that leg-spin is not effective in limited-overs cricket and believes several of them on the domestic circuit have the potential to represent India. He added:
"Earlier, people thought that the utility of leg spin was diminishing down with the advent of T20 cricket. But they have been completely proved wrong. Leg spin is not just effective in Test cricket but it’s equally effective in limited-overs cricket. Just look at the IPL. I being a leg spinner, along with Yuzvendra Chahal are the two most successful Indian bowlers in IPL history.
"So why not have more opportunities for the leg spinners in all formats of the game. India has a big pool of leg spinners. We have quality spinners in domestic cricket. I do not want to take names but there are more than half a dozen leggies who have the potential to get into the Indian side. I am very happy to train any young leg spinner who comes up to me for help."
IPL says “Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi” which means “where talent meets opportunity” and it is proving absolutely correct about the likes of Ayush Badoni, Tilak Varma, Sai Sudarshan, Umran Malik, Mohsin Khan, Jitesh Sharma and many more. This tournament keeps giving.#TATAIPL
Amit Mishra last donned the national colors in 2017 and has fallen down the pecking order amid the rise of Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.