Lucknow: From a cricket coach at Nainital’s Sherwood College to a three-year failed struggle to get into the Jharkhand team, left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra of Uttarakhand has faced several challenges before his journey turned around brilliantly this season. Mishra is in the spotlight as he tops the bowling charts with 59 wickets in the Ranji Trophy this year.
“Yes, when I look back on my journey in sport, it’s a hard-fought struggle, but I am happy that I have achieved what I aspired for in my life,” said Mayank.
“Fifty-nine wickets in 16 innings at an average of 17.69 looks like a dream to me. The joy of becoming the highest wicket-taker could have been doubled if we had won the semi-final against Karnataka today,” said Mishra on Thursday after his side lost to eight-time champions Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy semi-final here.
Mishra feels the past 10 years of his life have taught him a lot, and now he has been rewarded for his sincere efforts in the game.
“It feels surreal. I worked really hard during the off-season. I am really happy about my performance too, and I hope that it continues the same when I get to play next season for Uttarakhand,” said Mishra, who has also played for a UK club and is heading back to England for another stint.
“Matches in England allow me to do the course corrections, if any, and prepare myself for the next season,” said Mishra, 35, who hails from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand. Mishra took seven wickets in the semi-final against Karnataka, including four in the second innings.
Mishra’s wizardry with the ball has not only shattered records but also scripted Uttarakhand’s historic march to the semi-finals, marking a golden chapter in the hill state’s domestic cricket. His domination with spin this season has been aided by aggressive batting performances and unpredictable pitches. .
Mishra’s lethal spells have been the X-factor for Uttarakhand. cNow, his tally stands at 59 scalps, ahead of Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi (55 wickets) and Gujarat’s Siddharth Desai (45). Mishra’s standout performance (5/22) came in the quarter-final against Jharkhand in Jamshedpur. Mishra and pacer Abhay Negi triggered a batting collapse that handed Uttarakhand a win by an innings and six runs. Mishra snared skipper Virat Singh and Robin Minz off consecutive balls post-tea, reducing the hosts from 100/2 to 130 all out. Against Andhra and Vidarbha, his spin proved effective on varied surfaces in Dehradun and Dharamsala.
Uttarakhand has defied odds in a competitive group stage. It was their first-ever semi-final berth, which earned Mishra the Player of the Match honour.
“Certainly, it was a great journey for the side in the Ranji Trophy and after every match in the season, our confidence grew and the real moment came when we managed to beat Jharkhand in the quarter-finals,” said Mishra, who honed his skills in domestic circuits, evolving from a promising all-rounder into a spin specialist with career first-class figures boasting 168 wickets at an average under 23.
Mishra’s economy—often below three runs per over—and strike rate (38.23) have also drawn comparisons with Kuldeep Yadav. In fact, Mishra’s 59-wicket haul isn’t just stats, but it is a testament to grit, positioning him as a prime IPL auction prospect and India’s next spin hope.
“I enjoy bowling in tough situations and I don’t deviate from my line and length, and that’s the biggest success of my bowling. Besides this, I always keep an eye on the ongoing movement of a batter and prepare well against opponents before the match,” he said.
Among a number of outsiders in the Uttarakhand team since its journey in domestic cricket from 2018-19, Mishra has been a true-blue local cricketer that Uttarakhand is proud to have.
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