Former India spinner Amit Mishra has revealed how his career might have been different without MS Dhoni. Mishra made his international debut in 2003 during an ODI against South Africa and went on to play 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for the country, before retiring in 2025. His last appearance for India came in 2017 during the 3rd T20I against England in Bengaluru, where he registered figures of 1/23 in four overs.
Mishra’s career came to an abrupt end in 2017 with the rise of Yuzvendra Chahal. Recently, the wrist spinner spoke about the impact MS Dhoni had on his career as captain. Mishra said that while many people believe his career would have been better without Dhoni, he feels that he might not even have been in the Indian team without him.
“People say if Dhoni was not there my career would have been better. But who knows, if he was not there maybe I would not even have been in the Indian team. I came into the team under him only. And I kept making a comeback. He would have agreed as a captain and that is why I kept coming back. So there is a positive way to look at things,” Mishra said on the MenXP podcast.
He also recalled how Dhoni’s advice helped him register a five-wicket haul in what turned out to be his last ODI match in 2016.
“I did have the support. Whenever I was in the XI, it was never like Dhoni did not come to me and give me tips. He would always tell me things. Once, I was playing against New Zealand, which was my last one-day series. It was a tight game. We had scored 260–270 runs. I came to bowl and I thought of stopping the flow of runs and not going for wickets,” he added.
Mishra remembered how Dhoni walked up to him and advised him to bowl his natural length.
“After a couple of overs, Dhoni came to me and told me I am not bowling what I naturally bowl. He told me not to think too much and bowl what I always do. He told me, this is your bowling. Bowl exactly this. Don’t think too much. I did that and then got a wicket. It was a game-changing spell. I picked up five wickets, and I think that was also my best spell. His thinking was that if I did not pick wickets, we would lose the game. This is how he supported me,” he said.
Mishra ended up picking 5/18 in six overs to bundle out New Zealand for 79, setting up a massive 190-run victory for India. He was adjudged Player of the Match for his second five-wicket haul in ODIs and also scalped 15 wickets from five matches to be named Player of the Series.
Mishra was also a part of India’s ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad in 2013 and took 10 wickets in their 2014 T20 World Cup campaign, where they finished as runners-up. He also equalled Javagal Srinath’s world record for the most wickets (18) in a bilateral ODI series, achieving the feat against Zimbabwe in 2013.
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