Latest news with #AgniChopra
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Agni Chopra chose cricket over Bollywood, he now plays for the MI franchise
Agni Chopra , the son of popular filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Bollywood film critic Anupama Chopra , never wanted the stardom of movies and chose cricket to make a name for himself. Today he plays for MI franchise , the very team he grew up as a fanboy. Agni played for Mizoram for two years in the Indian domestic cricket due to the lack of opportunities in Mumbai's big cricket circles before getting a big break in US' Major League Cricket ( MLC ). From the maidans of Mumbai to loads of runs in Ranji Trophy Agi's journey, like any other Mumbaikar who plays cricket, began in Shivaji Park when he was just six years old. While most people thought being from an influential film family would make things easy, it was only harder for Agni. Other players and coaches thought he was just another rich kid who played cricket for leisure and would not stick to the sport. However, Agni had different dreams. To avoid standing out, he would ask his driver to park the car far away so no one would see him in his luxury. He wanted to be seen as just another boy with a bat, not a star kid with privileges. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 나눔도 당신처럼 아름답게, 유니세프 팀 팔찌 유니세프 지금 기부하기 Undo Soon, the runs started speaking for themselves. In the 2019-20 Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy, Agni scored nearly 800 runs for Mumbai U-23. He smashed three centuries and a double ton in the tournament. He credits his coach Khushpreet Singh Aulakh, who became more like a big brother, for turning him into a tough cricketer. Sadly, things did not work out for Agni as Mumbai's Ranji team never called. An injury and a tough relationship breakup made things worse. Live Events The 26-year-old even thought of quitting cricket. But a call from Mizoram changed everything. Agni smashed four centuries in his first four First-Class games and finished the season with 939 runs. He did it again the next season too. In 11 First Class matches, the left-hander has over 1800 runs with a staggering average of 94.94. He has nine centuries and five half centuries and a highest score of an unbeaten 238. However, a rule that only Indian passport holders can play Ranji Trophy, Agni, who has an American passport, had to give up professional cricket in India. The MI dream Agni focused fully on cricket in the USA and the MLC. This year, Agni got his big break mid-air. On February 19, he boarded an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai. While he was flying without Wi-Fi, the MLC draft was underway and 17 hours later, when he landed and switched his phone on, he saw a message from his mother — MI New York had picked him for $50,000. For a boy who grew up supporting Mumbai Indians , it was like a dream come true. He says days cricket is still closest to his heart, but playing in the US gives him new hope and a chance to play against top players at his peak. On Saturday, Agni made his debut for MI New York. Though he scored just five runs opening the innings, this could be a start of a new chapter in his career.
India.com
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Nita Ambani's MI team sign star player, he has average as high as Bradman, son of top Bollywood director, his name is…
Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) In these collection of pictures, we find out about the star India player signed up by Nita Ambani's MI team who has average close to Sir Donald Bradman. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Nita Ambani's MI New York won the MLC title in 2023, in the first-ever season in the T20 league in the United States. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Nita Ambani's MI New York will be led by Nicholas Pooran in MLC 2025. The third season of the T20 league got underway on Friday. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) MI New York have signed up star players like Naveen-ul-Haq of Afghanistan, Michael Bracewell of New Zealand apart from Nicholas Pooran. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Nita Ambani's MI New York have signed up star Indian cricket Agni Dev Chopra. He has scored 9 hundreds in just 11 first-class matches. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Agni Chopra has an average close to Sir Donald Bradman in first-class cricket. Playing for Mizoram in Ranji Trophy, Agni Chopra has an average of 94.94. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Agni Chopra is son of famous Bollywood producer and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. His mother is famous film critic Anupama Chopra. Image credit: Source: Instagram Agni Chopra will be hoping to make debut in T20 league this season with the MI New York team.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
2025 MLC Draft: Top picks, surprises, and all you need to know
NEW DELHI : The 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) domestic draft was held on February 20, 2025, and allowed franchises to select from a pool of US-based players who were not retained ahead of the season. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The draft followed a snake format and a fixed salary structure, with first-round picks earning $75,000 and the final round offering $10,000. First Round – $75,000 Second Round – $65,000 Third Round – $60,000 Fourth Round – $50,000 Fifth Round – $40,000 Sixth Round – $35,000 Seventh Round – $25,000 Eighth Round – $20,000 Ninth Round – $15,000 Tenth Round – $10,000 Seattle Orcas selected Jasdeep Singh with the first overall pick for $75,000. Singh, who went undrafted in 2024, made a strong comeback last season with Washington Freedom and was instrumental in their title win. Seattle also picked Sujit Nayak, a former IPL player, for $40,000, adding experience to their middle order. MI New York opted for Agni Chopra for $50,000. Chopra is a promising left-handed batter from Mizoram who recently made headlines in the Indian domestic circuit by scoring four consecutive centuries and finishing the Ranji Trophy season with 1,804 runs at an average of 94.94. Poll Which player do you think will have the biggest impact in the upcoming MLC season? Jasdeep Singh Agni Chopra Shubham Ranjane Texas Super Kings used their top pick on Shubham Ranjane, an all-rounder known for his medium-pace bowling and hard-hitting lower-order contributions. He was picked for $75,000. Washington Freedom, the reigning champions, retained 15 players ahead of the draft, with Abhishek Paradkar being the only pick. San Francisco Unicorns signed Hammad Azam and Achilles Browne (rookie), while Los Angeles Knight Riders scooped Karthik Gattepalli in Round 9. Major League Cricket 2025 Explained: Teams, Schedule & Where to Watch The 2025 MLC draft highlighted a shift toward domestic player development, with teams focusing on long-term squad building rather than relying heavily on international stars. With big names like Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Kagiso Rabada, and David Miller not retained, franchises appear committed to creating balanced and sustainable rosters for the future. Full list of picks in the 2025 MLC draft Seattle Orcas Jessy Singh – Round 1 Sujit Nayak – Round 5 Steven Taylor – Round 7 Shayan Jahangir – Round 8 Rahul Jariwala – Rookie (U23) MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost Texas Super Kings Shubham Ranjane – Round 1 Stephen Wiig – Round 9 Adam Khan – Rookie (U23) MI New York Agni Chopra – Round 4 Tajinder Singh – Round 4 Kunwarjit Singh – Round 8 Sharad Lumba – Round 9 LA Knight Riders Karthik Gattepalli – Round 9 Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA San Francisco Unicorns Hammad Azam – Round 10 Achilles Browne – Rookie (U23) Washington Freedom Abhishek Paradkar – Round 10
