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Agni Chopra's participation in the Major League Cricket (MLC) left everyone surprised about how can an Indian cricket participate in overseas leagues despite Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) restrictions.
Agni Chopra's participation in MLC leaves everyone pondering
The third season of the MLC kicked off on June 13 in the USA, featuring six competing teams. The event quickly drew attention as Agni Dev Chopra, son of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, made his debut for MI New York. Opening the batting, Agni, who had a standout 2024 domestic season, scored 5 runs off 7 balls in a losing effort. Earlier MI New Yorks had roped in for $50,000
The sight of Agni participating in an overseas league initially surprised many followers of the sport. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) generally prohibits active Indian players from joining foreign leagues unless they have retired from all forms of Indian cricket. However, Agni's situation presents a unique exception to this rule.
The key to his eligibility lies in his citizenship; Agni Dev Chopra holds a United States passport as he was born in Detroit. He is not an Indian citizen, a fact he confirmed in an interview with the Times of India. He had previously considered renouncing his US citizenship, stating, "I would have still applied for an Indian passport and stayed if I had been picked in the Indian Premier League but [I am] looking forward to my time in America now."
The 26-year-old made a significant impact in his debut season for Mizoram in Indian domestic cricket. He was the top run-scorer in the 2024 Ranji Trophy Plate League, amassing an impressive 939 runs in six matches at an average of 78.25, including five centuries and three fifties. His remarkable performance earned him the prestigious Madhavrao Scindia Award.
It is important to note a recent change in BCCI regulations. Until 2024, the board permitted non-Indian citizens and players from overseas teams to participate in its domestic circuit. However, following the conclusion of the 2024 season, the BCCI has amended its rules, now mandating that a cricketer must possess an Indian passport to be eligible to play domestic cricket in India.
Several prominent Indian cricketers have had to make the difficult decision to retire from all forms of Indian cricket, including the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL), to pursue opportunities in overseas T20 leagues. A notable instance is that of the celebrated Yuvraj Singh, who concluded his illustrious Indian career back in 2019 to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) that permitted him to participate in the Global T20 Canada tournament, representing the Toronto Nationals.
Another such example involves Unmukt Chand, who famously captained the Indian team to victory in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2012. By retiring from Indian cricket, Chand unlocked the possibility of featuring in various international leagues. This included stints in the Australian Big Bash League (BBL) during the 2021/22 season, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2023, and most recently, Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2024.
During the 2023/24 winter season, Agni Chopra made a spectacular entrance into the Indian domestic cricket scene. He achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first player ever to score a century in each of his initial four first-class matches. Across his burgeoning career of 11 games, he has already compiled nine centuries, and his total of 1,804 runs has been amassed at an extraordinary average of 95.49. Chopra's involvement in Indian domestic cricket has been extensive, participating in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons for Mizoram. His appearances were not limited to the Ranji Trophy; he also competed in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies. His most recent activity in Indian domestic cricket was in early 2025. In recognition of his prolific run-scoring, he was honored with a BCCI award on February 1, 2025, for being the leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group.
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