Amit Mishra Opens Up About Depression After National Team Drop

Former India cricketer Amit Mishra has revealed his battle with depression following his exclusion from the national cricket team early in his career. Mishra, who made his One Day International (ODI) debut in 2003, experienced a significant setback when he was dropped, which led him into a dark period lasting over a year.

In a conversation with former Indian opener Aakash Chopra, Mishra reflected on his experiences, expressing feelings of loneliness and confusion. "I went into depression for a year and a half. I kept thinking about what my mistake was. I was playing everywhere, but the only question in my mind was, 'What did I do wrong?'" he shared.

After enjoying the thrill of representing India, Mishra faced a swift decline as he not only lost his position on the national team but also found himself overlooked in domestic competitions. The challenges mounted, and his performance waned, which only compounded his distress.

He recounted, "I had played for India but got dropped. Then I was not in the Duleep Trophy. I was not in the India A team for zonals. I could not understand what was happening with me. One season went badly. Then a selector told me that I was not performing. I sat down and thought, and I understood that I was thinking of playing for India itself but not performing in domestic cricket."

During this challenging time, Mishra felt he had no one to confide in. He even concealed his struggles from his family to avoid adding to their concerns. "I had nobody to talk to during my bad time, to be honest. I could not tell my family either. I could not discuss these things with anyone. I was on my own. But I realised that until I perform, things would not work," he stated.

Determined to turn his career around, Mishra focused on improving his batting and eventually saw success in domestic cricket. His persistence paid off, leading him to be recalled to the Indian team in October 2008, where he made his Test debut against Australia.

Mishra concluded his international career with a notable record, having played 22 Test matches, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20 internationals for India. In addition to his international accolades, he is also celebrated in the Indian Premier League, where he took 174 wickets in 162 matches and remains the only player to achieve three hat-tricks in the tournament's history.