"My idol was always Yuvi paji, but Sachin...": Agni Chopra reveals players he idolised while growing up

By Parv Anand
New Delhi [India], February 1 : Mizoram batter Agni Chopra who has been enjoying a purple patch in the Ranji Trophy season talked about India's two star cricketers he idolised while growing up.
The son of film critic Anupama Chopra and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Agni has recently been in the spotlight for his consistent performances for Mizoram.
Agni who hails from Mumbai has seen some top players like batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Wasim Jaffer and many more rise up through the ranks and make their place in the Indian team.
For Agni as a left-handed batter, former star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been one player whom he idolised while growing up but cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top.
"For me, Sachin sir was always number one, the number one idol for all of us. He is the reason a lot of us started playing cricket. But for me as a left-handed batter, my idol was always Yuvi paji. When I saw him in the 2007 World Cup he hit six sixes and even in the 2011 World Cup. Being a left-hander Yuvi paji was someone I always wanted to be like. If I had to say someone it would be him growing up. But Sachin sir is always first there is no competition," Agni, the left-handed batter who has represented Mumbai Under-19 and Under-23 in his career, told ANI.
The 25-year-old became the first batter to smash four centuries in his first four first-class games and became the first player to achieve the feat.
He has struck 105, 101, 114, 10, 164, 15, 166 and 92 in his first four Ranji games and at a stunning average of 95.87.
As he continues to enjoy his purple patch, individual scores and records are not something that he intends to focus on. The biggest motivation that serves as a driving factor for him is getting his team to qualify for the elite division.
"Well, it's not so easy there is a lot of work getting into it. My biggest motivation was that I want the team to qualify for the elite division. I was never thinking I want to score five hundred or six hundred. I just wanted to take my team to the final and elite division. Even now I am happy with my performance but I am not satisfied because I know the job is not finished," Agni said.
In his past four games, Agni has had a touch of aggressiveness which saw him score four tons at a whooping strike rate of 111.80.
"I have always been a natural aggressive batsman. I dont really pre-meditate about a bowler I just take it as it comes and I always think positive, my mindset is always about scoring runs," Agni added.
As of now, Agni features in the number three spot for the Mizoram team and that spot has yielded him a rich vein of form. But for him, his preferred spot would be the one that his team needs him to play on.
While focusing on the need to be versatile as a batter, Agni said, "Hopefully, if I do well I will be there but I think I am very versatile as a batsman I am happy to bat anywhere. I dont think that I am only a number three batsman, in the Mushtaq Ali tournament I was opening for Mumbai I have batted number four or number five. I am happy to bat at any position that the team needs me. In today's age, it is very important that you are a versatile batsman and you can bat at any number especially when you are trying to get into an IPL team or top Ranji team."
With Agni breaking records and scoring runs at a tremendous rate, a spot in the Indian Premier League franchise won't be far from him in the coming years.
Even though he would be satisfied to play for any franchise, five-time champions Mumbai Indians remain his dream team to play for.
"Dream franchise I would say Mumbai Indians, I have grown up loving Mumbai Indians it would obviously be my dream to play for them. If I had to choose one I would choose Mumbai, being a Mumbai boy I have loved the team that would probably be my dream franchise but honestly, I am happy to play whichever team picks me," Agni said.
Finally, the 25-year-old batter talked about his ultimate ambition and lifting the ODI World Cup for India will be the biggest dream for him.
"The ultimate would be to win the ODI World Cup for India. If I had to choose one thing that would be the biggest dream for me," Agni stated.