Aakash ChopraAakash Chopra RSS Feed

India

Full name Aakash Chopra

Born September 19, 1977, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Current age 31 years 293 days

Major teams India, Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders, Marylebone Cricket Club

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium, Right-arm offbreak

Aakash Chopra
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 10 19 0 437 60 23.00 1263 34.60 0 2 49 0 15 0
First-class 129 214 22 9008 239* 46.91 24 44 161 0
List A 58 55 7 2293 130* 47.77 7 16 28 0
Twenty20 7 6 0 53 24 8.83 71 74.64 0 0 7 0 2 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 10 - - - - - - - - - - - -
First-class 129 534 297 6 2/5 49.50 3.33 89.0 0 0
List A 58 84 58 1 1/17 1/17 58.00 4.14 84.0 0 0 0
Twenty20 7 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Career statistics
Test debut India v New Zealand at Ahmedabad, Oct 8-12, 2003 scorecard
Last Test India v Australia at Nagpur, Oct 26-29, 2004 scorecard
Test statistics
First-class debut 1997/98
Last First-class North Zone v South Zone at Rajkot, Jan 29-Feb 1, 2009 scorecard
List A debut 1996/97
Last List A East Zone v North Zone at Cuttack, Mar 14, 2009 scorecard
Twenty20 debut Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Kolkata, May 8, 2008 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders at Durban, Apr 21, 2009 scorecard
Profile

An opener in the classical mould, Aakash Chopra has a technique and temperament perfectly suited to occupation of the crease and seeing the shine off the leather. Those attributes came handy for him, and for India, just when they were hunting desperately for a pair of good openers. After a right-knee injury had laid him low at the end of 2002-03, Chopra started the new season with a sound batting display in the two-Test series at home against New Zealand. That earned him a ticket to Australia, where he enhanced his reputation further by providing solid starts in partnership with Virender Sehwag, his Delhi team-mate.

Although he failed to cross the 50-mark in the four Tests against Australia, he showed enough patience to spend valuable time in the middle, see off the new ball and build a solid platform from which the strong middle order could elevate India to greater heights. He also proved to be an outstanding close-in fielder, invoking comparisons with the legendary Eknath Solkar. Unfortunately, the advent of Yuvraj Singh as a match-turning batsman on the tour of Pakistan in 2004 meant that Chopra was relegated to the status of squad player. He was dropped from the team after an unimpressive performance in the home series against Australia in 2004. Three years since, he was picked to open for India A in the unofficial Tests against South Africa. In the only completed match against South Africa A, he scored an unbeaten double century. The 2007-8 season continued to be prosperous for Chopra: 783 runs in Delhi's title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign; 332 runs at a whopping 332.00, with three hundreds at a strike-rate above 100, in the one-day version; 310 runs in the Duleep Trophy, helping North to victory. Chopra was then signed on by the Kolkata Knight Riders, of the lucrative Indian Premier League.
Nagraj Gollapudi March 2008

Latest Articles
Latest Photos

Apr 19, 2009

Adam Gilchrist stumps Aakash Chopra, Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, 4th game, Cape Town, April 19, 2009

Adam Gilchrist stumps Aakash Chopra

© Getty Images

Feb 21, 2009

Aakash Chopra swings the ball during his 75, Delhi v Haryana, Ranji one-dayers, Dharamsala, February 21, 2009

Aakash Chopra swings the ball during his 75

© Cricinfo Ltd

Feb 15, 2009

Aakash Chopra takes pictures during the match, Jammu & Kashmir v Delhi, Ranji one-dayers, Dharamsala, February 15, 2009

Aakash Chopra takes pictures during the match

© Cricinfo Ltd

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