•Since moving to India after the 2013 Kenyan season, the right-handed batsman has since risen through the ranks
•The 33-year-old Mishra scored 374 runs at an average of 46.75 with a hundred and four fifties this season in the Vijay Hazare and 123 runs in five innings in the Ranji.
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Former national cricket team batsman Tanmay Mishra is happy playing in the Indian domestic competitions.
Since moving to India after the 2013 Kenyan season, the right-handed batsman has since risen through the ranks and play alongside top Indian cricketers in the country’s domestic competitions.
In the just-concluded 2019-20 season, Mishra was outstanding for his side-Tripura Cricket Association—in India’s prestigious Vijay Hazare and Ranji Trophies. Vijay Hazare Trophy is India’s limited-overs cricket domestic competition involving state teams while the Ranji Trophy is India’s first-class domestic competition.
The 33-year-old Mishra scored 374 runs at an average of 46.75 with a hundred and four fifties this season in the Vijay Hazare and 123 runs in five innings in the Ranji.
“I am happy I have been given an opportunity by Tripura and I try contributing in any way possible. It started in 2017 when I came to play the selected matches in Tripura, where I scored 1,100 runs in 17 matches. I was disappointed when I was not selected for the 2017-18 season. However, I kept working hard and then by the grace of God, it’s been wonderful so far.”
Mishra, who has 1,128 ODI runs at an average of 34.18 in his 30 caps for the Kenya, is impressed with the challenge he has faced in the competitions.
“It was a great experience to play in these two events and being on the field with great international cricketers, some of who are top domestic players. It is something which everyone dreams of and it was great feeling for me,” Mish, as he was fondly known in the national team, said.
However, not only is Mishra impressed with the fact that he is playing alongside top players but also the level of competition.
“Cricket down here is incredibly tough. The quality of matches is far much better than what we are used to in Kenya and maybe anywhere in the world,” he said. “As a player, who has played at World Cup at such an early age, I’m glad to be playing here.”
After having established himself as a reasonable batsman representing Kenya in two World Cups, Mishra took a tough decision to move to India with the hope of improving his game.
He knew he had to start from scratch and put in the hard yards once again and never got fazed under pressure. Within a short time, he was drafted in the Indian Premier League where he represented Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“I had got decent recognition in India when I played the 2011 World Cup. I was selected for Deccan Chargers and after that, I was told I would be brought back for the 2013 season. But Sunrisers came on board and the whole thing changed. In 2014, I got a look into the RCB team and after that, I should have knowingly decided to play outside.”
While the fame in the IPL was major, Mishra ranks playing the 2011 World Cup in India among the best times that he had in his career.