Amit Mishra shares his struggles with team selection under captains Dhoni and Kohli, highlighting the influence of captain's preferences.
Mishra stressed that “just playing good cricket isn’t enough” to impress selectors. Being liked by the captain matters significantly in team selection. Despite having an excellent rapport with Dhoni, he was told that he didn’t fit the combination for the Playing XI. (File Image: DC)
Amit Mishra, the veteran Indian spinner, recently shared his candid experiences during a YouTube podcast. He discussed the challenges he faced while representing the national team, particularly when MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli were captains.
Mishra stressed that “just playing good cricket isn’t enough” to impress selectors. Being liked by the captain matters significantly in team selection. Despite having an excellent rapport with Dhoni, he was told that he didn’t fit the combination for the Playing XI.
Mishra also recalled the incidents when he was unexpectedly omitted from the final XI after performing well in a Test match against Bangladesh in 2010.
He expected his recall when Kohli was leading the side after the retirement of Dhoni but time and again he was not given a chance as he expected but was ignored.
MIshra, however, is not the only one to have got this raw deal from the captains. Amit Mishra’s experiences shed light on the complexities of team selection in cricket. Let’s explore other cricketers who faced similar challenges:
Ambati Rayudu: Known for his middle-order batting, Rayudu had a stop-start international career. Despite consistent performances, the 38-year-old middle order batter faced selection dilemmas and controversies. He had tweeted his IPL retirement announcement and withdrew it quickly. Unhappy with the politics in Hyderabad cricket, he had skipped the Ranji Trophy match. "Politics started in my childhood": Last year, Ambati Rayudu accused Ex-BCCI President Shivlal Yadav of ruining his career to help son Arjun. Parthiv Patel: The wicketkeeper-batsman made sporadic appearances for India. Despite impressive domestic records, he struggled to cement his place due to competition. 'Always about individuals': Parthiv Patel criticised RCB's Team culture amid not winning the IPL Trophy.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) keeper-batter Parthiv Patel had hit out at the team culture of the franchise for paying more heed to the individuals. With the franchise one possessing the star-studded trio of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle, the retired cricketer felt preference was always given more to them and not to the other players.
Manoj Tiwary: Tiwary’s talent was evident, but he rarely got extended opportunities. His case highlights the fine line between being in and out of the playing XI. The 38-year-old batter has played white ball internationals but his biggest regret is not getting a Test cap despite strong performances and being ignored for 14 matches after scoring a hundred. Once he was angry with captain cool MS Dhoni. Robin Uthappa: A dynamic batsman, Uthappa had moments of brilliance but couldn’t secure a permanent spot. His versatility across formats didn’t always work in his favor. Another batter, Uthappa was attractive to watch, hard-hitting, ready with all shots, and never afraid to hit the ball in the air - arguably to the point where tempering his strokeplay became a problem and kept him out of the Indian team for long periods.
Piyush Chawla: A talented leg-spinner, Chawla played crucial roles in limited-overs cricket. However, he often found himself on the fringes due to team dynamics.These cricketers faced challenges similar to Amit Mishra’s, emphasizing that talent alone doesn’t guarantee a consistent place in the team. The 35-year-old bowling all-rounder Chawla played 35 international matches (3 Tests, 25 ODIs and 10 T-20Is) but he has not been selected for the Indian team since then. Chawla has been a regular in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he has played for several teams over the years
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