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. 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. 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.
"I got my leg injured during that time in Bangalore. And when I was leaving after getting injured, Anil Kumble was the coach.
So I told Anil Bhai, I said, 'Anil Bhai...'. He said, 'Don't worry. As soon as you get fit, you will automatically come back,'" Mishra claimed during the podcast.He said he also spoke to Kohli, who had taken over as captain, and received a similar assurance about his place in the team."Then, Virat Kohli became the captain after this. I also asked Virat Kohli, I said, 'Brother, what needs to be done?' He said, 'You don't worry.
Get fully fit and comfortable, and you are there [in the team],'" he added.Mishra said that after recovering from the injury, he contacted Kohli to ask about his chances of returning to the Indian team. According to the leg-spinner, 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.
"So, I went to him. I asked, 'Brother, what's the situation?' So he said, 'I will let you know in a week to ten days.'
Then brother, one week passed, two weeks passed, three weeks passed, there was absolutely no update from him. I called him... so, he did not pick up the call. I messaged him, but there was no reply," Mishra said, accusing Kohli of failing to keep his promise.
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."I called again, he did not answer. I called twice more, still nothing... so I also let it go. Then I thought, 'Brother, what can we do?' When someone does not want you, what can you do? When players who got more severely injured than you, and were injured for much longer, made their comebacks... yet, I have never received any answer to this day."