Amit Mishra announces retirement from all forms of cricket

Veteran India leg-spinner Amit Mishra on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending a career spanning more than two decades.

Having last played for India in 2017, the 42-year-old Haryana cricketer continued to feature in the IPL till the 2024 edition.

“I have decided to retire,” said Mishra.

In a statement, Mishra said the decision was largely based on repeated injuries and the belief that the younger generation needed to take over.

Mishra represented India in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs and 10 T20s. His Test career yielded 76 wickets, while in ODIs he snared 64 scalps.

He was a classical leg-break bowler who made his Test debut against Australia in 2008, five years after he made his India debut in an ODI against South Africa in 2003.

With Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble starting most of the games at home, Mishra had to wait for his Test cap.

It was a successful debut for him as he took a five-wicket haul in the first innings before picking a couple of more in the second essay. It ultimately became his only five-wicket haul in the traditional format.

“These 25 years (first class debut in 2000) 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.

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“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,” Mishra said in a statement issued later.

His last competitive game was for Lucknow Super Giants in the 2024 IPL season. His international career stagnated after R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja entered the scene.

In the statement issued on Thursday, Mishra also expressed the desire to stay involved in the game via coaching and commentary.

He racked up 535 wickets in a exemplary first class career while he collected 252 and 285 in List A and T20 cricket.

In the IPL alone, he took 166 wickets at a stellar average of 23.98 and a very acceptable economy rate of 7.36, representing four teams including SunRisers Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Capitals and LSG.

He remains the only bowler to take three hat-tricks in the IPL.