Amit Mishra accepts commiting age fraud to get into cricket

Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra has recently admitted to age fraud early in his career. The disclosure came during a recent podcast appearance, where Mishra also shared details of a humorous exchange with Rohit Sharma during IPL 2024.

Age fraud has been a long-standing issue in Indian cricket, with numerous players accused of manipulating their birthdates to gain advantages in age-group tournaments. Mishra, currently playing for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, revealed that his coach had convinced him to decrease his age by one year when he was younger.

“Let me tell you, I have a one-year discrepancy, and my coach helped with that. I didn't even know about it. The coach called my home and asked for one more year for me. It was quite an emotional story. I was surprised and asked, 'How?' He said, 'From today, you are one year younger; now you have two more years.' I agreed,” said Mishra on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast.

Also read: Amit Mishra narrates story of his decline

The topic arose when discussing a recent on-field conversation between Mishra and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma during IPL 2024. Sharma playfully questioned Mishra's age.

“You made your debut when we were in our nappies. That's when you made your debut. You made your debut when you were 20?” added Rohit before Amit Mishra replied, “Yes. 20-21.”

Mishra, who is known for his wit, expressed that he questioned Rohit about his real age. Both the cricketers shared a laugh during this conversation.

“Not diapers, but he said when we were young. I told him, 'I also watched someone play when I was young.' Many people start playing early; it doesn't mean they are now 45 or 50. He laughed and said, 'I'm 37.' I later confirmed and said, 'Are you really 37?' He laughed and didn't say anything,” Mishra further added.

Also read: Amit Mishra reflects on Sanju Samson’s chances in India squad for next World Cup

The leggie opened that Sharma and him share a good bond and these jokes don't affect them, as they have played a lot of cricket and made a solid friendship off the field.

“If I had questioned that are you 37, what would have happened? But I thought, it's okay, we were joking, and he joked with me. And that's how it is with me, joking around with him. It's been going on for a long time, not just today,” he concluded.