Amit Mishra breaks silence on MS Dhoni ‘Villain’ narrative around his career

Amit Mishra opens up on relationship with MS Dhoni. (Photo: PTI)

Former India spinner Amit Mishra has discussed how his career might have been different in the absence of MS Dhoni. Before retiring in 2025, Mishra played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for the nation after making his debut in an ODI against South Africa in 2003. In the third Twenty20 International against England in Bengaluru in 2017, he made his final outing for India, taking 1/23 in four overs.

When Yuzvendra Chahal rose to prominence in 2017, Mishra's career abruptly ended. The wrist spinner recently discussed how MS Dhoni influenced his captaincy. Mishra stated that although many people think his career would have been better without Dhoni, he believes he might not have made the Indian squad at all without him.

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“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.

Additionally, he recounted how Dhoni's guidance enabled him to take five wickets in what ended up being his final ODI 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 recalled how Dhoni approached him and suggested that he bowl at 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.

India won by a staggering 190 runs as Mishra picked up 5/18 in six overs to bundle out New Zealand for 79. In addition to taking 15 wickets in five games to win Player of the Series, he was selected Player of the Match for his second five-wicket haul in ODIs.

In addition, Mishra claimed 10 wickets during India's 2014 T20 World Cup campaign, which saw them finish second, and he was a member of the team that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. In a 2013 match against Zimbabwe, he also tied the world record held by Javagal Srinath for the most wickets (18) in a bilateral ODI series.