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Leg-spinner Amit Mishra announced his retirement from professional cricket. (FILE PHOTO - AP)
After not playing any competitive cricket for more than 16 months, former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra has announced his retirement from the professional game at the age of 42 after a career spanning almost a quarter of a century.
Mishra last played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, and his last game was against Rajasthan Royals midway through the season. He didn’t feature in the 2025 edition, but was one of the most prolific spinners in the history of the franchise tournament, the only bowler to have three hat-tricks to his name.
Apart from LSG, Mishra also turned out for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
Mishra played 22 Tests, taking 76 wickets at an average of 35.72. He was especially useful on spin-friendly surfaces, but his opportunities were scarce till spin giants Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh dominated the scene. He made his debut in Kumble’s final series, against Australia in 2008, taking a five-wicket haul in Mohali, finishing with 14 wickets in three Tests. But his inability to be too effective on flatter pitches limited his exposure. Mishra was a classical attacking leg-spinner, relying on flight and a potent leg-break, with the odd googly thrown in for variety. But his perceived lack of accuracy counted against him, especially away from the subcontinent, and when Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja emerged on the scene, he was not always called upon, though he took 15 wickets in three Tests on the 2015 tour of Sri Lanka. He played his last Test against England in Chennai in 2016.
Key player for Haryana
Mishra also played 36 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India and was part of the squad that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England. He was a key performer in the 2014 ICC World T20 in Bangladesh, where India finished runners-up to Sri Lanka. On the domestic circuit, he was a key player for Haryana after making his debut in 2001-02, and a major contributor of wickets, finishing with 535 scalps in 152 first-class games, the last of which came in 2017.
“These 25 years of my life in cricket have been nothing short of memorable. I am deeply grateful to the BCCI, the administration, Haryana cricket association, the support staff, my colleagues, and to my family members who were with me all this while,” Mishra was quoted as saying in a press release. “I would like to thank the fans whose love and support whenever and wherever I played made the journey memorable. Cricket has given me countless memories and invaluable learnings, and each moment on the ground has been a memory I’ll treasure for life.”
English (US) ·