The cricketing spotlight in India is currently fixed on England's tour of the country, but amidst the attention, the Ranji Trophy, India's premier first-class competition, has been quietly unfolding since the start of the new season in early January.
While familiar names like N Jagadeesan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ricky Bhui, Gourav Yadav, and KC Cariappa have been showcasing their skills, one name, Agni Chopra, has emerged as a standout performer, making waves with his remarkable performances.
Playing for Mizoram, Agni Chopra has made a scintillating start to his cricketing career. In his debut match against Sikkim, the 25-year-old left an indelible mark by smashing 166 off 179 balls. What makes Chopra's performance even more remarkable is his achievement of becoming the first player ever to score a century in each of his first four first-class matches. Presently, he sits atop the Ranji Trophy's run-scoring charts with an impressive 767 runs in just 8 innings.
Born on November 4, 1998, in Detroit, Michigan, Agni Chopra is the son of acclaimed filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and film critic Anupama Chopra. Despite making his first-class debut at the age of 25, Chopra's cricketing journey faced setbacks early on. Beginning his career in Mumbai, he displayed promise, captaining the Mumbai U19 state team in 2017. However, controversy struck when he was alleged to have abused the Mumbai U19 head coach Satish Samant and team selectors in a social media conversation with teammates. This incident resulted in a three-match ban during the Cooch Behar Trophy in that season.
Undeterred by past challenges, the talented batter made a comeback that caught the cricketing world's attention. He registered with the Cricket Association of Mizoram before the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 234 runs in 7 innings at an impressive strike rate of 150. Subsequently, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mizoram, creating history with a series of outstanding performances.
