Anjum Chopra is widely regarded as one of the founding pillars of modern Indian women’s cricket. As the first Indian woman to score 1,000 ODI runs and a former national captain who led India to historic series wins, she helped bring recognition and professionalism to a sport that had long operated in the shadows of the men’s game. Since retiring, she has gone on to become one of India’s most respected cricket commentators.
This article covers everything about Anjum Chopra, including her age, height, family background, education, career journey, stats and records, achievements, marital status and net worth.
Quick Facts about Anjum Chopra
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Anjum Chopra |
| Date of Birth | May 20, 1977 |
| Age (2026) | 49 years |
| Birthplace | New Delhi, India |
| Role | Left-handed batter, right-arm medium-fast bowler |
| International Career | 1995 to 2012 |
| Formats Played | Test, ODI, T20I |
| Captaincy | Indian women’s team captain, 2002 onward |
| Father | Krishan Bal Chopra (golfer) |
| Mother | Poonam Chopra (homemaker) |
| Brother | Nirvan Chopra |
| Education | St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University; MBA, FORE School of Management |
| Major Awards | Arjuna Award (2007), Padma Shri (2014) |
| Current Profession | Cricket commentator and analyst |
Who Is Anjum Chopra
Anjum Chopra is a former Indian international cricketer and current cricket commentator. She represented India across Test, ODI and T20I formats between 1995 and 2012, captaining the national team for several years. She was the first Indian woman to score 1,000 runs in One Day Internationals and the first to score an international century for India, hitting 100 runs against England in 1999. After retiring from playing, she became one of the most recognized voices in cricket broadcasting, and in 2016 became the first Indian woman cricketer to receive honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club.
Anjum Chopra Age
Anjum Chopra was born on May 20, 1977, in New Delhi. This makes her around 49 years old as of 2026.
Height, Weight and Physical Appearance
Anjum Chopra’s exact height and weight are not officially confirmed. She has a lean, athletic build shaped by her years as a professional cricketer, along with the athletics, basketball and swimming she competed in during her school and college years. Since precise physical statistics are rarely published for cricketers the way they sometimes are for other public figures, no verified figures are available for her height and weight.
Family Background
Anjum Chopra was born into a family with deep sporting roots. Her father, Krishan Bal Chopra, is a golfer, and her mother, Poonam Chopra, is a homemaker who won the Goodyear car rally in the mid 1980s. She has a brother named Nirvan Chopra, who represented Delhi at the Under-17 and Under-19 level in cricket. Her maternal grandfather, Ved Prakash Sahni, was a former athlete who represented India and later worked as a cricket commentator, while her maternal uncle, Rohit Sahni, was a former cricketer who captained both Hindu College and Delhi University. Growing up surrounded by this sporting legacy played a significant role in shaping Anjum’s own path into competitive sport.
Education
Anjum Chopra studied at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, before going on to graduate from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. She later completed an MBA from the FORE School of Management, specializing in marketing and human resources, a qualification she pursued after stepping back from international cricket.
Career Journey
Anjum Chopra’s introduction to competitive sport began at the age of 9, and she went on to represent her school and college in athletics, basketball and swimming, even playing for the Delhi State basketball team at the national level. She was drafted into the Delhi Under-15 cricket team as a teenager and made her international debut in One Day Internationals at just 17 years old, on February 12, 1995, against New Zealand in Christchurch. She made her Test debut later that same year, against England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on November 17, 1995, memorably batting as a nightwatchman and scoring 27 runs into the next morning.
In just her second international series, against England later in 1995, Anjum was named player of the series, scoring at an average of 67.5, a result that quickly established her as one of India’s most promising young batters. In 1999, on India’s tour of England, she became the first Indian woman to score an international century, hitting exactly 100 runs in an ODI. She was named vice-captain of the Indian team for the 2000 World Cup, and in 2002 she was appointed full time captain of the Indian women’s team.
Her captaincy years produced some of Indian women’s cricket’s most significant milestones. In 2002, she led India to a 5-0 home ODI series whitewash over England, and later that year, guided India to its first ever Test series win on foreign soil, defeating South Africa away from home. In 2005, she led India to the final of the Women’s World Cup in South Africa, where the team finished runners up to Australia, and she was India’s top scorer in that tournament. In 2006, on India’s tour of England, she top scored with 98 in a Test at Taunton as India secured a series win. In the 2009 World Cup in Australia, she played a crucial 76 run innings in a must win game against the host nation, helping India finish third in the tournament.
At the domestic level, Anjum represented Delhi since her Under-15 days and also played for Air India, her employer, becoming their most successful women’s team captain. Air India won the national and zonal championships in both 2002 and 2003 under her leadership, and were named best team of the year in 2003. In the 2011-12 season, she captained Delhi to their first ever national championship title and also led the North Zone team to a Zonal Championship win the same year.
Anjum retired from international cricket in 2012, having represented India in over 150 international matches across formats over an 18 year career. Following her retirement, she worked as a technical consultant with Cricket South Africa’s women’s team ahead of the 2011 World Cup, becoming the first player to receive such an international appointment. She transitioned into cricket commentary and analysis, working with Doordarshan and other major networks, and became the first woman to commentate on both men’s and women’s professional cricket matches, including stints covering the Indian Premier League and the World Kabaddi League. She has also co-authored the book “Women’s Cricket World – A Journey from 1745-2013” and appeared in the docudrama “Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies,” which received acclaim at the Arnold Sports Film Festival in Ohio in 2011. She also participated in the reality show “Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi” Season 4.
Career Stats and Records
Over the course of her international career, Anjum Chopra played 12 Test matches, 127 One Day Internationals and 18 Twenty20 Internationals for India, taking her total international caps to well over 150 across formats.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Centuries | Half-Centuries | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 12 | 548 | 30.44 | Not specified in available records | Not specified in available records | 2 |
| ODI | 127 | 2,856 | 31.38 | 1 | 18 | 9 |
| T20I | 18 | 241 | 17.21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Among her most significant records, Anjum Chopra was the first Indian woman to score an international century, the first Indian woman to reach 1,000 ODI runs, and the first Indian woman cricketer to play 100 ODIs. She represented India in six World Cups, a number matched by very few other players in the history of the women’s game internationally. She was also named ICC Women’s Player of the Match on three separate occasions, in 2000, 2005 and 2009.
Achievements and Awards
Anjum Chopra received the Arjuna Award in 2007, one of India’s highest sporting honors, and the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 2014. In 2016, she became the first Indian woman cricketer to be granted honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club. In 2019, she was honored with the BCCI’s C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, shared that year with former men’s captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth. She has also received the Zee Astitva Award for Exemplary Women in 2008 and the FICCI-YFLO Young Women Achievers Award in 2009.
| Year | Award or Honor |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Arjuna Award |
| 2008 | Zee Astitva Award for Exemplary Women |
| 2009 | FICCI-YFLO Young Women Achievers Award |
| 2009 | ICC Women’s Player of the Match (third occasion, after 2000 and 2005) |
| 2014 | Padma Shri |
| 2016 | Honorary Life Membership, Marylebone Cricket Club (first Indian woman cricketer) |
| 2019 | BCCI C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award |
Anjum Chopra Net Worth
Anjum Chopra’s net worth is not officially disclosed. Her income is understood to come from a combination of her cricket pension and past match earnings, her work as a cricket commentator and analyst across major networks, her career as a corporate motivational speaker for organizations including Vodafone, Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered, and revenue from her book and media appearances. Since exact figures are not publicly confirmed by her, any specific number circulating online should be treated as an unverified estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Is Anjum Chopra Married
Anjum Chopra has not publicly confirmed her marital status or the name of a husband, and this remains one of the most searched details about her personal life. It is worth noting that several low quality websites have circulated conflicting and entirely unverified claims about a “husband name,” attaching her to different names with no supporting evidence, none of which have been confirmed by Anjum Chopra herself or by any credible news source. Based on all currently verifiable information, there is no confirmed public record of her being married, and she is known to keep her personal life private, choosing to let her cricketing and broadcasting career define her public image.
Personal Life
Away from cricket, Anjum Chopra is known to be a pet lover who enjoys spending time with her dogs at home. She continues to be closely engaged with Indian cricket as a commentator and analyst, frequently offering her views on team selection, player form and the broader growth of the women’s game in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Anjum Chopra?
Anjum Chopra was born on May 20, 1977, which makes her around 49 years old as of 2026.
What is Anjum Chopra’s height?
Her exact height is not officially confirmed.
Who are Anjum Chopra’s parents?
Her father, Krishan Bal Chopra, is a golfer, and her mother, Poonam Chopra, is a homemaker who won the Goodyear car rally in the mid 1980s.
Does Anjum Chopra have siblings?
Yes, she has a brother named Nirvan Chopra, who represented Delhi at the Under-17 and Under-19 level in cricket.
Is Anjum Chopra married? What is her husband’s name?
Anjum Chopra has not publicly confirmed her marital status or a husband’s name. Various unverified and conflicting claims exist online, but none are confirmed by her or by credible sources.
What are Anjum Chopra’s biggest cricketing records?
She was the first Indian woman to score an international century, the first to reach 1,000 ODI runs, and the first Indian woman cricketer to play 100 ODIs.
What is Anjum Chopra’s career stats record?
She played 12 Tests (548 runs), 127 ODIs (2,856 runs, one century), and 18 T20Is (241 runs) for India.
What awards has Anjum Chopra won?
She has received the Arjuna Award (2007), the Padma Shri (2014), and the BCCI C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), among other honors.
What does Anjum Chopra do now?
She works as a cricket commentator, analyst, author and corporate motivational speaker.
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