Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Son Plays In US Cricket League Despite Tough BCCI Laws. Here's How

Agni Chopra, son of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, is currently playing for MI New York in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC). The 26-year-old previously played domestic cricket in India with his latest outing coming in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. As a result, it came as a surprise for many that he is playing in an overseas league considering the tough BCCI stance in this matter. BCCI does not allow any active cricketer to play in any overseas cricket league and they can only play in these competitions after their retirement or after procuring a No Objection Certificate (NOC). However, the reason behind Agni's exemption is simple: He does not hold an Indian passport.

Agni was born in Detroit, Michigan and as a result, he is exempt from the BCCI rule regarding overseas cricket league participation. However, under the new BCCI rules, he will also not be able to play in the domestic leagues until he becomes an Indian citizen. 

Agni became the first player to score First Class centuries in each of his first four matches. During the 2023-24 Ranji season, he was a top performer for Mizoram and earned a lot of praise from experts.

Earlier, he said that he would have applied for an Indian passport if he was picked for the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, despite expressing his wish to play in the league on multiple occasions, he was not picked by any of the franchises and he decided to play in the United States-based league.

“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,” he told Times of India.