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MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli were targetted by veteran India spinner Amit Mishra for his ouster from the Indian team. Amit Mishra, who made his India debut in 2003, played his final match for the team in 2017.

Mishra had made his debut under Sourav Ganguly and also played under MS Dhoni, while his India career ended under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. In all, he played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, including the 2014 T20 World Cup.

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are considered to be two of the best captains India has ever had. Dhoni won all three white-ball ICC trophies, while Kohli made India a force to be reckoned with in Test cricket.

Many players made their debuts and even concluded their careers under them. A few remained, while others drifted away, but those that did emerged as true gaming stars. However, some individuals didn’t really belong anywhere.

Amit Mishra, who appeared on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show ‘Unplugged’, revealed that he asked MS Dhoni twice about why he was not being picked, and was told he didn’t fit the combination the captain wanted.

Amit Mishra targets MS Dhoni

“Being liked matters a lot in team selection. Just playing good cricket isn’t enough. The captain always decides the Playing XI. I had an excellent rapport with MS Dhoni. I asked him twice why I wasn’t getting picked, he told me that I don’t fit the combination,” Mishra said.

“I was told that I was being given a rest. I never asked for it. I hadn’t even played 10 Test matches by then, why would I ask for a rest or break? If I have to tell you honestly, I wasn’t in a position [to question Dhoni]. Yes, I asked the coach, and he told me to go ask Dhoni, but like I said, I wasn’t in that position to go and ask Dhoni. I asked the coach again and he just said we are giving you rest,” he added.

Even Virat Kohli didn’t give me a clear answer about my career: Amit Mishra

Up till 2011, Mishra continued to make irregular appearances for India in Test matches before being injured. Kohli also put Mishra in a state of uncertainty if Dhoni was unable to provide him with a firm response. Mishra’s last nine Tests were under Kohli’s captaincy during the 2015-2016 season.

“The worst I’ve felt in my career was when I picked up a knee injury five years ago. It happened in between the match. The series before I was the Man of the Series and the Man of the match against New Zealand. And this used to be the rule back then, not sure if it still happens but if you get injured while playing, you are given an automatic comeback. It happened with Wriddhiman Saha, Anil Kumble and Hardik Pandya, but I never got it,” said Mishra.

“During the IPL, our last match was against RCB. I asked him to give a clear picture about my career. He said ‘Mishy bhai, I’ll ask and let you know’. Virat Kohli helped me in my comeback series against Sri Lanka – 2016. I was doing well and India needed a leg-spinner who could bowl in Sri Lanka. When I came back, he said, ‘from today, you will train for fitness with me’. I told him I can’t lift weights like you but I can run and whatever else you want. Then I got injured so I asked him again, but I never got a clear answer. I messaged him. He read the text and said ‘I’ll let you know’ but never did.” Mishra signed off.

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