Former India women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra has described her recent induction into the ICC Hall of Fame as one of the biggest moments of her career. She also praised the Indian women’s team for their historic 270-run Test victory over England at Lord’s.
Chopra, who represented India with distinction before moving into broadcasting, said the Hall of Fame recognition was a very special honour that was difficult to express in words. She reflected on what it meant to be recognised alongside some of the biggest names in cricket history.
“Being recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame is a high point of my career, and I feel deeply honoured. The moment I received this news and the moment the honour was bestowed upon me were very special, and I hold them very dear to my heart. Words fail me; I don’t even know how to sum it up or explain it,” Chopra said, according to PTI.
The former India captain also spoke about what playing for her country has meant throughout her career. For Chopra, representing India was always about making a contribution to the team’s success, whether that meant scoring runs, taking wickets or helping the team win.
“Playing for India has been a blessing, and captaining the country has been an equal blessing. Playing for India is, in itself, a massive accolade. My job as a player was always to score runs, take wickets, and ensure my team won. Now, as a broadcaster, my job is to ensure the work is done in the right manner. The journey continues,” she added.
Chopra admitted that when she was a young girl, she could never have imagined receiving such an honour or having her name mentioned alongside legendary cricketers.
“Growing up as a child, I could never have imagined that my name would be mentioned in the same breath as stalwarts like Sourav and Kevin. As I said, it is truly a huge honour.”
The former India skipper also spoke about India’s memorable Test victory against England at Lord’s. She praised the team for producing a strong all-round performance despite playing the match at the end of a long tour.
India had completed an almost seven-week tour of England, which made the victory even more special in Chopra’s eyes. She felt the players showed great mental strength to move forward from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup knockouts and prepare themselves for the challenge of red-ball cricket.
“A stellar all-round performance fuelled India’s 270-run win over England in the first-ever Women’s Test staged at the iconic Lord’s ground. It’s very nice, considering the Indian team had just completed an almost seven-week tour,” Chopra said.
The historic match saw India score 285 in the first innings, with Smriti Mandhana making 83, Harmanpreet Kaur scoring 58 and Deepti Sharma adding an important 57. India then bowled England out for 170, with Kranti Gaud taking a five-wicket haul. Yastika Bhatia later made history by becoming the first player to score a century in a Women’s Test at Lord’s, scoring 113 as India set England a huge target. India eventually completed a 270-run victory, making the historic occasion even more special.
Chopra highlighted how India’s tour had already started with success in the T20 format and ended with another memorable victory in the longest format of the game.
“They won the first game of the tour against England in the T20 and ended the tour with a win. There was a lot of cricket they were playing, and physically and mentally, you do get a little jaded. Not reaching the knockouts in a World Cup wouldn’t have affected them. After all that, they went out, prepared with the red ball for a Test match against England, and had that belief.”
Chopra was especially impressed by the way individual players stepped up when India needed them most. She said the team showed belief in its abilities and produced a performance that will remain a special part of India’s cricket history.
“I really thought the players stood up for themselves individually. It was very nice to see them walk away with a smile, a trophy in their hands, and celebrate on the Lord’s balcony as a triumphant team.”
For Chopra, the two occasions represent different but equally meaningful chapters in Indian women’s cricket. Her Hall of Fame induction celebrates a career that helped shape women’s cricket in India, while India’s historic victory at Lord’s shows how much the women’s game has grown with the generation that followed.
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