Mizoram star Agni Dev Chopra continues to plunder runs in the Ranji Trophy's Plate League as he scored a second consecutive double century. Chopra, who is the son of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and film critic Anupama Chopra, has scored 218 off just 269 balls in Mizoram's first innings against Manipur, which is his third century this season in just three matches.
Chopra had scored 110 and and unbeaten 238 in Mizoram's previous match against Arunachal Pradesh in Ahmedabad. Mizoram won that match by 267 runs. Chopra has earlier represented Mumbai in the under-19 and under-23 levels. The 25-year-old was then advised by his coach Khuspreet Singh to play for another team so that he can get more time out on the field, with selection in the Mumbai senior teams evading him.
Started his career with a bang
Chopra moved to Mizoram and made his entry into first-class cricket with a bang. He racked up scores of 105, 101, 114, 10, 164, 15, 166 and 92 in his first four Ranji games. This made Chopra the first batter to score centuries in his first four first-class games, something even legends like Don Bradman couldn't achieve.
The fact remains that his scores have come against bowlers in the Plate League, which is generally inferior to what he would have faced in the 32-team Elite League. "People will say what they have to say but, at the end of the day, it's your performance and there are lot many players who are playing in the same division and not scoring that many runs. The standard is same for everyone," Chopra had told PTI last season.
{{/usCountry}}The fact remains that his scores have come against bowlers in the Plate League, which is generally inferior to what he would have faced in the 32-team Elite League. "People will say what they have to say but, at the end of the day, it's your performance and there are lot many players who are playing in the same division and not scoring that many runs. The standard is same for everyone," Chopra had told PTI last season.
{{/usCountry}}"I think I am trying to be in present and my aim is to take Mizoram to Elite division. If we are in Elite division, then there is nothing to think about in terms of quality of bowling and I will play for Mizoram." While the top 32 teams in the domestic circuit play in four groups of the Elite League, six other teams, five of which are from the north-east region, feature in the Plate League.