I am still hopeful of making a comeback to the Indian team: Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra has played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs and 8 T20Is and has so far bagged a total of 154 wickets across the three formats for Team India. The veteran leg-spinner who is currently plying his trade for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League is optimistic that he will again be given an opportunity to don the Indian jersey.

“Of course, I do! That is why I am still playing. I am not someone who will keep playing just for IPL. My fight is with myself. I should always be ready and prepared when a call from the Indian team comes. That is the belief I always have. Yes, I am still hopeful of making a comeback,” Amit Mishra who has claimed over 150 wickets in the IPL told cricket.com when asked about making an international comeback.

“I have always tried to reflect on who is going to get the benefit if I continue to be demotivated? It will benefit my competitors. After every rejection, I have tried to work even harder on my skills,” the leg-spinner said.

Generally, players hang up their boots and call it a day when they hit the mid-30s. Now Mishra, 37, believes that age should not be the criteria and players must be motivated by themselves to pull this off. It's been three years since he played an international match. This year's IPL may be his last opportunity to showcase his bag of tricks and prove he still has the ability to play at the highest level.

“I have always tried to stay away from the negativity, as there are very few people in life who would motivate you when you are down. Self-motivation is very important. We all are surrounded by pessimism when we don’t see much success. If we try to work harder, darker thoughts generally go away. Age should not be a criterion to judge your performance. One should always see whether a player is fit or not. I think players like Yuvraj Singh or Harbhajan Singh or Virender Sehwag should have been spoken to on what they were thinking about their future,” Mishra said.

“You don’t doubt their ability or passion. They also work hard. But I think if they are lacking in anything, say fitness, then they must be told what is required or what is expected of them. If properly communicated, the players will not feel bad,” the veteran spinner concluded.