Aakash Chopra

Videos: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra Biography

A stonewaller at the top and one of the greatest short-leg fielders India have produced, Aakash Chopra played 10 Tests between October 2003 and October 2004. He took 15 catches, some of them exceptional, while his 437 runs came at 23, but to his credit he hung around for 66 balls every time he batted under challenging circumstances.

Not that he complained, for he had to drop anchor as the swashbuckling Delhi batsmen went about bludgeoning the bowlers. He opened with his Delhi mate Virender Sehwag 11 times away from home — in Australia in 2003-04 and in Pakistan in 2004 — averaging 58 per dismissal. In Australia their 8 stands got them 459 runs at 57.

He started well, crossing 30 in each of his first 5 innings, and though he got only 2 fifties, there were 4 other scores in excess of 40. His axing came abruptly, when India decided to push Yuvraj Singh to the top despite Chopra’s gutsy performances.

Chopra had risen through the Under-19 ranks, and once in the Delhi team he found runs quickly, amassing 554 in his first season at 69. He topped the 900-run mark in the domestic seasons of 2000-01 and 2001-02, both at averages in excess of 60. Unfortunately, an anterior cruciate ligament delayed his Test debut in 2002-03.

He never played after 2003-04, but he suddenly found form four seasons later, when he scored 1,339 runs in four-day cricket and slammed three unbeaten quickfire hundreds in Vijay Hazare Trophy. So belligerent were his innings that he earned an IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders. But despite India’s opening problems he was left out of the squad for the 2007-08 tour to Australia as Sehwag was called up out of nowhere.

Chopra later moved to Rajasthan, and played a key role in them their first two Ranji titles — that too in consecutive seasons, starting from the Plate Group in the first season. This also included 301 not out against Maharashtra — a marathon spread over 13-and-a-half hours. He also played for Himachal Pradesh, and finished with 10,389 First-Class runs at 45.

He later became a popular columnist and commentator. His two books — Beyond the Blues: A First-Class Season Like No Other and Out of the Blue: Rajasthan’s Road to the Ranji Trophy are the greatest books written by Indian Test cricketers.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Aakash Chopra Batting & Fielding Averages

Career	M	In	R	NO	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct	St
Test	10	19	437	0	60	23.00	1263	34.60	0	2	49	0	15	0
ODIs	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--		--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--

Aakash Chopra Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	10	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--

Aakash Chopra Career statistics

News ON Aakash Chopra

IND vs SL | Prithvi Shaw is From Different Planet: Aakash Chopra

Chopra claimed that he is a big Prithvi Shaw fan and said that the 21-year-old is from a different planet.

Aakash Chopra Feels It’s a Tough Call to Pick Between Shreyas Iyer & Suryakumar Yadav For No.4 Spot in T20 World Cup

Aakash Chopra feels that even selectors are not in a position to pick the no.4 at the moment.

SL vs IND 2021: Aakash Chopra Picks 5 Indian Players to Watch Out For

Aakash Chopra has picked five youngsters to watch out for on the Sri Lanka tour.

Aakash Chopra Picks India’s Opening Pair For England Tests

Gill could not deliver the goods in the WTC final against New Zealand.

WTC Final | It Will be Down to Batsmen: Aakash Chopra Picks MVP of Both Teams

Both the teams have potent pace batteries.

Aakash Chopra Picks Best XI of World Test Championship, no Place For Kohli And Rahane

Aakash Chopra has picked his best XI for WTC. Image Credits: Getty ImagesFormer Indian opener Aakash Chopra has picked his best XI of ...

More News on Aakash Chopra

Features ON Aakash Chopra

Where have all the quality No 3 batsmen in Tests gone?

CricketCountry speaks to Dean Jones, Sanjay Manjrekar and Aakash Chopra while trying to assess the situation regarding Test one-downs.

Aakash Chopra: Finest writer among Indian Test cricketers

Aakash Chopra opened batting for India, was outstanding at bat-pad, and is an excellent cricket writer.

When Virender Sehwag lit up Boxing Day at the MCG with a breathtaking 195

Australia could not get Virender Sehwag out that day. He had to do it himself.

Aakash Chopra: T20 cricket killing the classical spinners

Chopra was talking with CricketCountry on the sidelines of the release of his recent book, 'The Insider'.

Aakash Chopra’s book should be part of cricket academies’ curriculum

Aakash Chopra has provided a huge boost for the younger

Unimpeachable facts: Why it is irrational to criticise MS Dhoni for dropping Virender Sehwag?

The crushing defeat at the hands of the Australians was soon correlated with MS Dhoni’s move of keeping Virender Sehwag out of ...

More Features on Aakash Chopra

Live Scorecard

Live

Up Next

Results

No Match Live Now

Bangladesh vs Australia - 1st T20

03 Aug, 2021 17:30 IST | 12:00 GMT

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

West Indies vs Pakistan - 4th T20I

03 Aug, 2021 20:30 IST | 15:00 GMT

Providence Stadium, Guyana

West Indies vs Pakistan - 5th T20I

03 Aug, 2021 20:30 IST | 15:00 GMT

Providence Stadium, Guyana

India vs England - 1st Test

04 Aug, 2021 15:30 IST | 10:00 GMT

Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Bangladesh vs Australia - 2nd T20

04 Aug, 2021 17:30 IST | 12:00 GMT

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

More

West Indies vs Pakistan - 3rd T20I

Match Abandoned

West Indies vs Pakistan - 2nd T20I

Pakistan beat West Indies by 7 runs

India vs Sri Lanka - 3rd T20I

Sri Lanka beat India by 7 wickets

India vs Sri Lanka - 2nd T20I

Sri Lanka beat India by 4 wickets

West Indies vs Pakistan - 1st T20I

Match Abandoned

More

Latest News

South Africa to Tour Sri Lanka For Limited-Overs Series in September

IND's Predicted XI For 1st Test vs ENG: Mayank to Open, Shardul Thakur Could Get Picked

Ben Stokes Has Shown Courage & Bravery to Prioritise His Mental Health: Jack Leach

Indian Team Reaches Nottingham Ahead of Test Series Against England

Shane Warne in Self-Isolation After Testing Positive For COVID-19: Report

West Indies vs Pakistan Live Cricket Score and Updates: WI vs PAK 3rd T20I match Live cricket score at Providence Stadium, Guyana

हिन्दी खबरें

महिला क्रिकेट में सबसे ज्यादा रन बनाने वाली बल्लेबाज बनी मिताली राज; बनाए कई रिकॉर्ड्स

WTC Final से पहले मैदान में उतरेंगे Trent Boult, इंग्‍लैंड के खिलाफ खेलेंगे दूसरा टेस्‍ट

न्यूजीलैंड के खिलाफ WTC फाइनल में ये कीर्तिमान हासिल कर सकते हैं अश्विन

ICC WTC 2021: Pat Cummins ने बताया- खिताब का कौन है असली दावेदार

Michael Holding बोले- नस्‍लवाद के इस दानव को खत्‍म होते नहीं देख पाऊंगा, इसका कभी अंत नहीं होगा