Ranji Trophy 2024: Vidhu Vinod Chopra's son Agni breaks first-class record with centuries in first four games

Agni Chopra has become the first batter to amass four centuries in his first four first-class matches after making his debut for Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy Plate League last month.

Agni, 25, is the son of famous filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and film critic Anupama Chopra. The talented cricketer's father recently made the movie 12th Fail and it has received plaudits from the audience as well as the critics. The junior Chopra has now taken the mantle upon himself to add more smiles to the family.

Agni has amassed scores of 166, 92, 164, 15, 114, 10, 105, and 101 in his first four Ranji Trophy games, playing against Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya, respectively. He is the leading run-getter in the tournament this season, with 767 runs from eight innings at an average of 95.88. The fact that he has scored his runs at a strike rate of 111.81 shows how he has dominated the opposition bowlers.

After representing Mumbai at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels, Agni's coach Khuspreet Singh suggested that he should play for another team to get the necessary "playing time" to showcase his skills. Breaking into the senior Mumbai side wasn't going to be easy, given the tough competition prevalent in the cricket-crazy city.

"Coming here in Mizoram, everyone has been very welcoming and really included me and there are two more pros -- KC bhai (KC Cariappa) and Mohit Jangra. They are inclusive and welcoming and I never felt like an outsider. I have been taught a few Mizo words and phrases and I don't feel in a vastly different place," Agni was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

In the Ranji Trophy, the top 32 teams 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. Agni admitted the difference in the quality of bowling in the Plate League and the Elite League. However, he is focused on lifting Mizoram to the Plate League final, which will earn them a promotion to the Elite League next season.

"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. 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." Agni stated.

Love watching movies but it was never my passion: Agni Chopra

Agni said that he had been asked as a child on multiple occasions whether he would go into films. The batter said that while he liked watching movies, it was never his passion.

"So I have been asked this question from childhood that will you go into movies but I never thought I would ever be in movies. I never thought that, 'oh, I should get in because my dad makes movies and it will be an easy avenue for me'. I was never interested in movies. I mean I love watching movies and have a great time but it was never my passion," Agni mentioned.

Agni said that his father gave him and his sister the freedom to choose their professions and told them to try and be the best in whatever they choose to be.

"My dad told me and my sister when we were younger what his father told him: 'Agar tumhe sadak par mochi banna hai, apne sadak ka best mochi banna. (If you want to become a cobbler, be the best cobbler in your street). He gave us freedom to do what we wanted but told us to try to be the absolute best. Talent can only take you that far as rest depends on work you do and I saw that in his movies. The amount of work my father and my mother put in their professions, I saw that it rubbed off on me," Agni ended.