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Z
Full name Varun Chopra
Born June 21, 1987, Barking, Essex
Current age 21 years 79 days
Major teams England Under-19s,Essex,Essex 2nd XI
Nickname Tidz
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Height
6 ft 1 in
Education Ilford County HS
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
First-class
35
59
5
1560
106
28.88
3459
45.09
1
11
194
4
33
0
List A
20
19
0
488
102
25.68
673
72.51
1
3
55
1
5
0
Twenty20
7
7
2
58
18
11.60
65
89.23
0
0
7
0
1
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
First-class
35
4
40
39
0
-
-
-
5.85
-
0
0
0
List A
20
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Twenty20
7
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Career statistics
First-class debut
Essex v Loughborough UCCE at Chelmsford, Apr 15-17, 2006 scorecard
Last First-class
Leicestershire v Essex at Leicester, Aug 27-28, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
Essex v Sri Lankans at Chelmsford, Jun 9, 2006 scorecard
Last List A
Essex v Surrey at Chelmsford, Aug 5, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Hampshire v Essex at Southampton, Jul 3, 2006 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Essex v Kent at Chelmsford, Jun 18, 2008 scorecard
Profile
An opening batsman of considerable talent, Varun Chopra has already impressed as captain of England Under-19s, who he led to a comprehensive series whitewash of Sri Lanka in 2005. He was on fire himself, averaging 48 in the Tests and striking a half-century in one of the two ODIs. But life was about to get immediately tougher for him and his side - an 11-0 pasting followed on the winter tour of Bangladesh.
Chopra's own form with the bat was largely indifferent - although he did find form towards the end with 77 and 98 - and he lost the captaincy for the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February. (This decision, though, was principally intended to give Moeen Ali a chance in the role, rather than being any slight on Chopra's abilities). And indeed, he was reinstated for the 2006 summer series against India.
With a resolute temperament and the talent to match, Chopra has been tipped for the top. He is already making strides to get there, after doing well for Essex's 2nd XI, including sharing an unbeaten stand of 280 with Zoheb Sharif of which he made 120 not out.
Graham Gooch is a fan, calling him "a smart lad who works hard at his game and has a natural eye for a ball." Gooch first encountered him at an Indian coaching camp. "He looked a good player then - upright and likes to play off the front and back foots straight through cover."
Chopra's domestic season started off well in 2006 - he struck a hundred and a fifty on Championship debut and has been slowly making his mark in the first team, even keeping Grant Flower out of the side. Watch him blossom.
Jenny Thompson June 2006
