Former Indian spinner Amit Mishra is once again the talk of the town. Mishra recently appeared on the show ‘Unplugged,’ hosted by Subhankar Mishra, where he talked about Virat Kohli and Irfan Pathan. This did not sit well with Kohli and Pathan fans. Although this is not the first time the 41-year-old has come under scrutiny, there have been many incidents where Amit Mishra found himself in trouble. Let’s take a look at few controversies that Amit Mishra could have avoided but didn’t.
Amit Mishra assault case
In 2015, when South Africa was touring India for a multi-format series, a female friend of spinner Amit Mishra filed a case against him alleging sexual harassment in a hotel in Bengaluru. These allegations led to Mishra being arrested after a three-hour-long questioning session by the Bengaluru police.
It came to light that Mishra had known her for the past three years. Also, she had entered his room in his absence, and upon his return, they engaged in a heated discussion during which the leg-spinner allegedly assaulted her. Mishra was booked under IPC sections 354, 323, and 324 but later was granted bail.
Amit Mishra on Irfan Pathan
In 2022, a heated debate occurred between two top cricketers, Irfan Pathan and Amit Mishra. Irfan Pathan, India’s former left-arm all-rounder, tweeted a preamble of the Indian Constitution, stating, “Always followed this and I urge each citizen of our beautiful country to follow this. Please read and re-read.” He later tweeted, “My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth. BUT,” which became the topic of discussion.
Amit Mishra responded to Pathan’s tweet, completing his statement, “My country, my beautiful country, has the potential to be the greatest country on earth… only if some people realise that our constitution is the first book to be followed.” This exchange led to a public dispute between the two.
Recently, Amit Mishra recalled this incident on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast. He reaffirmed his stance, adding more context to his current relationship with Irfan Pathan. Mishra stated, “I used to shake hands with him. I never hugged him. I maintain my distance. I keep relationships as they are. I love my close friends. The ones who are commercial are commercial. The close ones are close.”
Amit Mishra on Virat Kohli
Amit Mishra was involved in verbal spats within the Indian team, particularly with India’s former captain, Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has maintained a strong and friendly relationship with Amit Mishra since his early days in cricket. The most notable incident occurred during a 2023 IPL group stage game between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
During this match, the infamous altercation between Naveen-ul-Haq and Virat Kohli took place, a topic that remains widely discussed. In the same scene, Mishra, who plays for LSG, sided with Naveen-ul-Haq, leading to a verbal exchange and intense stares between him and Kohli. Mishra’s relationship with young Kohli was much closer before Kohli’s rise to fame and captaincy. However, the Virat change in Kohli’s behaviour over time has impacted his relationships within the Indian team.