Satisfied with India's performance in World Championships: Gopichand

August 23, 2015

Mumbai, Aug 23: National badminton coach P Gopichand on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Indian players in the just-concluded World Championships in Jakarta.

gopichand"This is the first time so many Indian players had qualified for the World Championships. All the players put up a good show. I am happy with the overall performance," said Gopichand at a function.

The former All England men's singles champion was honoured by cyber gaming hub "Smaaash" Sports Foundation for his contribution to Indian badminton through a joint initiative called "Celebrate Sports" with "Bawraas" and given a cheque of Rs 5 lakh for his badminton academy in Hyderabad.

Only Saina Nehwal could end up on the podium, winning the silver in the women's singles, but Gopichand saw quite a few positives from the overall performance of the Indians.

While praising Saina's silver medal winning effort, Gopichand was also happy with the way P V Sindhu (lost in the quarterfinals of women's singles) and K Srikanth (lost in the third round of men's singles) performed in the tournament after battling their way through injuries.

"There were some injury issues. Both are very young and will learn from these experiences," said Gopichand.

World No. 14 Sindhu, who won back-to-back bronze medals in the previous two World Championships, shocked Olympic champion and former World No. 1 Liu Xuerei from China in round two before losing to eighth seed Sung Ji Hyun of Chinese Taipei.

Third seed Srikath, who won the men's singles title at the Yonex Sunrise Indian Open in March, lost to Hu Yun of Hong Kong, seeded 13th, in round three.

Two other Indians also figured in singles events -- H S Prannoy and seasoned professional and London Olympics quarter finalist P Kashyap, but both made early exits.

Prannoy, seeded 11, lost to 7th seed Viktor Axelson of Denmark in three games in round three, 10th seed Kashyap lost to Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Minh in round two.

Seasoned women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa also featured in the main draw but could not repeat their bronze medal winning effort of 2011 and lost in the quarterfinals to Japan's Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yanao.

Asked about next year's Rio Olympic Games, Gopichand said it was some way off and there were quite a few tournaments to concentrate on in the run-up to the mega event.

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News Network
January 29,2020

Hamilton, Jan 29: India defeated New Zealand in the third T20 International via Super Over to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday.

India posted a competitive 179 for five at Seddon Park after being sent into bat. Opener Rohit Sharma top scored for India with a 65-run knock while skipper Virat Kohli contributed 38 runs in team's total.

Later, skipper Kane Williamson smashed a 48-ball 95 but New Zealand faltered in the final over to take the match into the Super Over.

Needing nine runs of the last over, New Zealand lost Williamson and Ross Taylor to finish at 179 for six and tie the match.

In the Super Over, New Zealand scored 17, a target which India overwhelmed in the final ball with Rohit smashing Tim Southee for two consecutive sixes.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Mumbai, Mar 5: Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was on Wednesday named chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh to the five-member group.

The CAC, comprising Madan Lal, R P Singh and Sulakshana Naik, picked the two selectors with Joshi replacing South Zone representative MSK Prasad.

In an unprecedented decision, the BCCI said the CAC will review the panel's performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.

"The committee recommended Sunil Joshi for the role of chairman of the senior men's selection committee. The CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI," read a statement from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

Harvinder was chosen from central zone and replaces Gagan Khoda in the panel.

The existing members of the selection panel are Jatain Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh.

"We have picked the best guys for the job," Lal told news agency.

The CAC had shortlisted five candidates for interviews -- Joshi, Harvinder, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan and L S Sivaramakrishnan -- from a list of 40 applicants.

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News Network
January 23,2020

Jan 23: Quinton de Kock has been named as the new captain of the South Africa One-Day International side, taking over from Faf du Plessis, who is dropped altogether from the three-match series against England next month.

Du Plessis led South Africa in their disastrous 2019 World Cup campaign and has hinted at international retirement from all formats following the Twenty20 global finals in Australia later this year.

"We all know the quality of the player that Quinton de Kock has grown to become," CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Over the years we have watched him grow in confidence and become one of the top ODI wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. He has a unique outlook and manner in which he goes about his business and is tactically very street smart."

De Kock leads a 15-man squad with five uncapped players in seamers Lutho Sipamla and Sisanda Magala, left-arm orthodox spinner all-rounder Bjorn Fortuin, opening batsman Janneman Malan and wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne.

Magala, leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, seamer Lungi Ngidi and hard-hitting opening batsman Jon Jon Smuts must pass fitness tests before they can join the squad.

Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will be rested for the series, while allrounders Chris Morris and Dwaine Pretorius have also not been able to force their way in.

"The road towards the 2023 Cricket World Cup starts now and we want players doing well in our domestic structures to see the rewards of the hard work that they have put in," CSA Independent Selector Linda Zondi added.

The first ODI will be staged in Cape Town on Feb.4th, with the second in Durban three days later and the final match of the series to be held in Johannesburg on Feb.9th.

Squad: Quinton de Kock (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Jon Jon Smuts, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Kyle Verreynne.

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