Amit Mishra, Virat Kohli
Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra believes an injury during the 2017 T20I against England in Bengaluru may have brought his international career to an early end. Kohli told him he would provide an update within seven to 10 days, but Mishra claimed he never heard back from the former India captain, according to the leg-spinner.
He said the assurances from Kumble and Kohli did not translate into a return to the national team, with the match against England eventually becoming his final international appearance for India. So I told Anil Bhai, I said, ‘Anil Bhai…’. He said, ‘Don’t worry. He said he also spoke to Kohli, who had taken over as captain, and received a similar assurance about his place in the team. I also asked Virat Kohli, I said, ‘Brother, what needs to be done? He said, ‘You don’t worry. Mishra said that after recovering from the injury, he contacted Kohli to ask about his chances of returning to the Indian team. Mishra also said that several other players who had suffered more serious injuries and spent longer periods on the sidelines returned to the national team once they were fit. He felt he was not given the same opportunity and said he had never received an explanation for what happened.
Mishra, who never played for India again after that match, claimed that then head coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli had assured him of a comeback once he regained full fitness. However, he alleged that Kohli stopped responding to his calls and messages after he recovered. Mishra made these claims during an episode of a podcast hosted by former India cricketer Aakash Chopra. “I got my leg injured during that time in Bangalore. And when I was leaving after getting injured, Anil Kumble was the coach. As soon as you get fit, you will automatically come back,'” Mishra claimed during the podcast. “Then, Virat Kohli became the captain after this. Get fully fit and comfortable, and you are there [in the team],'” he added.