Mumbai has served a dual purpose for Mishra. In Sachin Tendulkar -- the city's favourite son -- Mishra found a role model. He also attended college in India's financial capital to gain a management degree which should come in handy in the future.

After Monday's half-century against Canada, albeit for a losing cause, the 24-year-old Kenyan middle order batsman has all the more reason to ponder how kind India has been to him.

"My family migrated in the early 1990s, dad has got a business there, but our initial upbringing was in Mumbai," Mishra said.

"I was 5-6 years (old) then. I was very fluent in Marathi, even mom says so. I still understand it but that's it. I did come back for my business management course in a Mumbai college, then went back to Kenya and started working hard on my game."

Not surprisingly, Mishra looks up to a Mumbaikar for inspiration.  "Obviously, I grew up idolising Sachin, like so many others. Everyone likes him," he said.