5 Best spells of Amit Mishra in T20 cricket

Amit Mishra made a career out of two things: artful leg-spin and the knack for producing game-changing overs when teams needed them most. In T20 cricket, where a single over can flip a result, Mishra’s best spells are mixed craft, calm and clutch timing. 

Mishra was brilliant at bowling when the game was tense in the final overs, close chases, or during late collapses. He combined a leg-spinner’s variety (flippers, googlies, top-spinners) with exceptional control of pace and landing, a deadly mix in T20s where a single miscued slog ends innings. He also had a flair for the theatrical: three IPL hat-tricks and a handful of four-wicket hauls show he could do damage in clusters, not just pick off singles.

Below are the five standout T20 performances that define his legacy in the shortest format, drawn from international matches and top-level leagues.

1. 5/17 - vs Deccan Chargers, 15 May 2008

This remains Mishra’s signature T20 performance. Bowling for Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural IPL season, he finished with 5/17 and produced a dramatic final-over hat-trick to seal a tense 12-run win over Deccan Chargers. 

Deccan Chargers needed 15 off the last over, and Mishra delivered three consecutive wickets to snuff the chase. Not only did the figures jump off the card, but the psychological impact of turning near-certain defeat into victory in just six balls announced Mishra to a global audience. 

2. 4/9 - vs Deccan Chargers, 21 May 2011

Mishra’s 4/9 for Deccan Chargers in 2011 was a clinic in late-innings control. He turned a promising Kings XI chase into a collapse, finishing with a hat-trick among his four wickets. What’s striking here is the economy as much as the wickets. 

In a format that rewards aggression, Mishra smothered scoring and strangled partnerships, swinging momentum decisively back to his team. That spell underlined why captains trusted him to bowl the crucial back-end overs. 

3. 4/11 - vs Kings XI Punjab, 15 April 2016

Eight years after his IPL breakout, Mishra produced a clinical 4 for 11 for Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla. He struck early and kept the scoreboard in check. That spell turned a potentially nervy run chase into routine work for the home side. The economy here is the headline — conceding just eleven in four overs in a batting-friendly league — but the timing of the wickets (breaking partnerships) is what swung the game.

4. 4/19 - vs Pune Warriors, 17 April 2013

In a match where he also contributed with the bat, Mishra’s 4/19 included a match-defining hat-trick in the 19th over. Chasing a modest total, Pune looked like a live threat late — until Mishra’s closing salvo collapsed the tail. This was a full-package performance: time in the middle, then lethal finishing with the ball. It’s a rare modern T20 skill to impact both innings; Mishra did exactly that and walked off with the player-of-the-match aura. 

5. 4/24 - vs Mumbai Indians, 20 April 2021

This is Mishra’s more recent reminder that he ages well by craft. Playing for Delhi Capitals, he finished 4–24 against a starry Mumbai line-up, removing key hitters and halting momentum at critical junctures. In a season where pace and power dominate, Mishra’s controlled variations and clever use of angles produced the breaks Delhi needed. The match context — defending or chasing tight totals in a compressed IPL window — magnifies the value of this performance.

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