Aakash Chopra

Patience, solid technique, stylish stroke play with perfect temperament, Aakash Chopra has all the attributes of an opener. Hailing from the state of Uttar Pradesh, he made his-first class debut for Delhi in the 1996-97 season. He finished the season with 422 runs at 70.33 including two centuries. He was rewarded with a place in the Duleep Trophy in his very first year.

Chopra made his international debut in the 2003 Test series against New Zealand. He was then a part of the touring Indians to Australia where he formed solid partnerships with Delhi-mate and opener, Virender Sehwag. Although he did not achieve great success, his patience came in handy for him and the team as he laid the foundation of a strong middle-order that India to great heights. He was an athletic fielder, often compared to the legendary Eknath Solkar. Despite his considerable Test performance, he was never a part of the ODI team due to a low scoring rate. Consequently, he was dropped from the team in 2004, but continued to be a prolific run-scorer on the domestic front, especially in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy, which was won by Delhi.

Chopra was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008 for the first two seasons of the IPL. In 2011, he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals on the basis of his brilliant run in the Ranji Plate Division for Rajasthan.