'From today, you are one year younger': Amit Mishra confesses to shocking age fraud

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner and IPL legend Amit Mishra has made a stunning admission about the age fraud that rocked Indian cricket in the past. In a candid statement, Mishra admitted that his officially recorded age is inaccurate, differing from his actual age by a year.

The 41-year-old admitted that the controversy surrounding his age played a role in his ability to participate in age-group cricket and integrate into the cricket system. The 41-year-old claimed he was unaware of the deception and had blamed it on his coach in his early years.

Mishra revealed that falsifying his age gave him an extra year to compete in under-19 cricket.

“Let me tell you that I am one year younger and my coach helped me sort it out. I was not even aware of it. The coach called me home and asked me for one more year. It was a very emotional story. I was surprised and asked, ‘How?’ He said, ‘From today, you are one year younger; now, you are two years older’. I agreed,” Mishra said during an interaction on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.

In a light-hearted conversation after the IPL 2024 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, former MI captain Rohit Sharma playfully teased Mishra about his age. Rohit humorously asked Mishra if he was really three years older than him, sparking a discussion on the topic.

During the same interaction, Mishra also spoke about what separates Rohit Sharma from Virat Kohli.

“The difference is in the nature. Rohit is very open with his players. One of the things I like the most about Rohit is that when I first met him, he was the same as he is today. So, who would you identify with more: the one who stays the same or the one who changes depending on the situation?”

Asked if he has noticed a change in Virat Kohli, Mishra says: “Yes, a lot. We have hardly spoken to each other.”

When asked if becoming captain was the reason behind it, Mishra said, “Yes, of course. Fame and power were the reasons because when you get power, you feel like everyone is talking to you for a reason. Virat Kohli has changed a lot after getting fame, power and captaincy.”