Anjum Chopra is a former Indian woman cricketer who represented the India women's national cricket team across Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) formats. A left-handed batter, she was one of the leading figures of Indian women's cricket during the late 1990s and 2000s, and served as captain of the national side. After retirement, she has been active as a cricket commentator, author and ambassador for women's sport in India.
Key facts
| Full name | Anjum Chopra |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1977, New Delhi, India |
| Batting style | Left-handed |
| Role | Top-order batter |
| National side | India |
| International debut | 1995 (ODI) |
| Captaincy | Former captain, India women's cricket team |
| Notable honours | Arjuna Award (2007); Padma Shri (2014) |
| Post-playing roles | Cricket commentator, author |
Background
Born in New Delhi, Chopra took up cricket at a young age and rose through age-group and domestic cricket in Delhi. She studied in Delhi and combined her education with structured cricket training at a time when women's cricket in India was administered by the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI), prior to its 2006 merger with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Playing career
Chopra made her ODI debut for India in 1995 as a teenager and went on to have a long international career spanning more than a decade and a half. She was known for her composed top-order batting and her ability to anchor innings in limited-overs cricket.
Captaincy and World Cups
She captained the Indian team in international cricket and was part of multiple ICC Women's World Cup campaigns. She featured in the Indian side that reached the final of the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup held in South Africa, where India finished as runners-up to Australia — the country's best performance in the tournament at that time. She also represented India in the inaugural ICC Women's World Twenty20 in 2009.
Test cricket
Chopra played a small number of Test matches for India during a period when women's Test cricket was played only sporadically, and contributed runs in the longer format alongside her ODI exploits.
Style and significance
As a left-handed batter at the top of the order, Chopra was valued for technique and temperament. She belonged to a generation of Indian women cricketers — alongside Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and others — whose performances helped raise the profile of the women's game in India and supported the case for its integration with the BCCI structure.
Honours and recognition
- Arjuna Award (2007) — Government of India award for outstanding achievement in sport.
- Padma Shri (2014) — India's fourth-highest civilian honour, awarded for her contribution to sport.
- Recognised as one of the first women cricketers from India to be widely featured in mainstream sports media.
After retirement
Following her playing career, Chopra has worked extensively as a cricket commentator and analyst on television and digital platforms in India, covering both men's and women's cricket. She has authored a book on her cricketing journey and has been associated with initiatives promoting women's participation in sport. She is also engaged in motivational speaking and sports broadcasting assignments at international tournaments.
Related topics
- India women's national cricket team
- Mithali Raj
- Jhulan Goswami
- 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup
- Women's Cricket Association of India
- Board of Control for Cricket in India
- Arjuna Award
- Padma Shri
References
- International Cricket Council — player profiles and tournament records, Women's Cricket.
- BCCI — India women's cricket archives.
- Government of India — Padma Awards and Arjuna Award citations.
- Wikidata entity Q3526701.