Singapore Open: Saina Nehwal set to relive feat achieved in 2010

April 11, 2016

Singapore, Apr 11: Six summers ago, Saina Nehwal had stood at the podium here with the gold medal dangling around her neck and the Indian ace will hope to relive those moments by clinching the title once again when the Singapore Super Series begins here tomorrow.

Saina

Saina has played only three times in the last five editions here at the Singapore Indoor Stadium but she could not go beyond the quarterfinals. The Indian will look to cross that mark this time around when she starts her campaign against USA's Beiwen Zhang on Wednesday.

World No. 8 Saina, who had to go through a nagging injury since late last year, has reached the semifinals in the last three tournaments -- Swiss Grand Prix Gold, India Open Super Series and Malaysia Super Series Premier.

The tournament will start with the qualifiers tomorrow while the main draw will commence only a day after when besides Saina, P V Sindhu, H S Prannoy, Ajay Jayaram and K Srikanth will take the court with an eye on the World ranking.

Two-time bronze medallist at World Championship, Sindhu, who reached the quarterfinals in the last two events at India and Malaysia, will open her campaign against Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungphan.

The 20-year-old from Hyderabad has beaten Busanan six times in the past, including a three-game victory recently in the second round of the India Open Super Series.

In men's singles, Swiss Open champion Prannoy, who is looking to seal an Olympic berth ahead of the May 3 deadline, will have a towering task of getting across World No. 1 and top seed Chen Long of China in the opening round.

The World No. 22 Indian had lost to the two-time All England and World champion, Long in straight games during the 2014 India Open.

World No. 24 Ajay Jayaram, who is also in fray for an Olympic berth, will face Marc Zwiebler, a couple of weeks after the German ended his India Open campaign in the opening round.

World No. 14 Srikanth, who was ousted in the first round in the last two events, will square off against Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jen Hao. The Indian has beaten him twice in the last two years at 2014 Denmark Open and 2015

World Championship.

In men's doubles, newly-crowned national champion duo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar will face China's Liu Cheng and Lu Kai.

World No. 15 combo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will meet Korean Go Ah Ra and Yoo Hae Won in the opening round of the women's doubles competition.

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News Network
April 12,2020

New Delhi, Apr 12: As devotees across the world celebrate Easter today, former Sri Lanka skipper and current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) president Kumar Sangakkara on Sunday condoled the demise of people who lost their lives during last year's Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and said someone must seek answers to the questions which still remain unresolved.

"A year on we all share the pain of the families grieving lives lost, we stand with you and for you. We remember. So many questions still unanswered, but answer them someone must," Sangakkara tweeted.

On April 21, 2019, multiple blasts ripped through Sri Lanka when the Christian community was celebrating Easter Sunday.
The explosions rattled churches and high-end hotels across the country, killing 258 people and injuring over 500.

A local terror group called National Thowheeth Jama'ath had claimed responsibility for the devastating attacks.

The island nation was put under a state of emergency for a period of four months from April to August.

The Sri Lankan police had then said that 293 suspects were arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings in the island country in April.

This year, most of the devotees would be offering the prayers from their homes as mass gatherings have been suspended in most countries due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion on Good Friday. It also marks the culmination of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penance.

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News Network
May 24,2020

Melbourne, May 24: Former Australia captain Mark Taylor does not foresee the T20 World Cup scheduled in October-November going ahead and wants the ICC to take a decision during its Board meeting this week.

Taylor also feels that if IPL takes place during the window the T20 World Cup was to be held, the Australian players are likely to be cleared by their Board to take part in the cash-rich league in India.

The ICC Board meets on May 28 to discuss a host of issues related to COVID-19 pandemic, including a revamped schedule and the fate of the men's T20 World Cup in Australia.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

"My feeling is the World T20 won't go ahead in Australia in October as planned. Is it going to be viable to have a world tournament in October or November? The answer to that is probably no," Taylor, also a former Cricket Australia (CA) director, was quoted as saying by 'Nine Network'.

"It would probably be good (if a decision is made this week). Because then everyone can start planning and we can stop sitting here and saying 'well ifs, buts or maybes'."

CA chief executive Kevin Roberts has said that a call on the fate of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 15, may potentially not come until August.

Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

But players and administrators around the world are keen for some certainty and many have predicted that the 16-team event will soon be postponed.

There are reports that the BCCI is eyeing the October window for the IPL though officially it maintained, that it will not consider new dates of the cash-rich league until the T20 World Cup's fate is decided.

Taylor said the CA wants to keep BCCI happy so the Australia players are likely to be cleared for the IPL if it happens in October.

Pat Cummins, who was bought for a record amount of Rs 15.50 crore in last year's IPL auction, is among the Australians keen to take part in this year's competition.

"The Cricket Australia board will want to keep India happy. So they may want to let the players go to India if the IPL goes ahead," Taylor said.

"Because they want India to come here this summer and play, which will be our biggest summer in terms of dollars. That's the sort of discussion going on. No doubt."

Virat Kohli's team is scheduled to arrive in Australia for a Test tour starting November, which will go along way in addressing CA's financial woes triggered by teh COVID-19 pandemic.

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April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career.

He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 ten innings with his highest score being 39.

"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.

However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.

"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.

"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.

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