National
My commitment is to keep my game up to date and relevant: Pardeep Narwal
Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) star raider Pardeep Narwal said that his responsibility has been to be up to date and relevant in the game. Ahead of the PKL auctions, Narwal has been released by Patna Pirates, his team for the last five seasons.
“I believe every day is a new learning day, and there is always scope of improvement. I have continuously evolved my techniques and skills, and that is something I continue to do. How differently can I raid? How can I keep the opponent defenders on their toes? How competitive can I get — these are the things I have always looked for answers to. My commitment is to keep my game up to date and relevant,” said Narwal in an interview with IANS.
The eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League will return in December after a long break enforced by COVID-19. Though Patna Pirates can get him back by using the Final Bid Match card, Narwal is excited about being in the auctions.
“It has been a great stint with the Patna Pirates, and I have learned a lot under the guidance of the coach and management. I am looking forward to the auction, and positive that I will return in Season 8 with the same enthusiasm and excitement”
Narwal, the two-time MVP, has been touted to trigger a fierce war for the highest bid ever in the auction. With so much pressure on him, Narwal speaks about how he keeps his calm on the mat.
“A raider needs to have a good presence of mind and quick thinking. When I step in to raid, I am always calm. Getting paranoid never helps me. My concentration is to make sure I use the right skill and techniques against the defender and come back safe into my half-court.”
The lockdown due to the virus caused problems for many people. But Narwal ensured he maintained his fitness and kept the motivation high in times of uncertainty.
“My training consisted of strength training, high jumps, running, and meditation. Despite the pandemic, I made sure to exercise daily and maintain my fitness. At home, we tend to eat and not exercise. I made it a point to exercise daily at least for an hour. As a kabaddi player, fitness is extremely important to make sure our body is agile and receives correct nutrition.
“Motivation has always been to continue playing kabaddi, for which I needed to always stay fit. Pro Kabaddi League is returning, and I am looking forward to getting back on the mat. The training, exercising and all the hard work will be seen on the mat very soon.”
Known for his ‘dubki’ move, where the raider ducks low to evade defenders, Narwal says he will bring the famous move to the mat. “I try to ‘dubki’ daily. You will soon see me ‘dubki’ on the mat.”
With sporting events happening in bio-bubbles, Narwal feels blessed about playing the sport in a safe environment. Asked about his target for the season, Narwal said, “PKL returning with Season 8 is a benchmark for all indoor sports and leagues. I am blessed to have this platform where I get to showcase my talent and play kabaddi. My goal is to continue to play the sport I have always loved and try new skills and techniques. I am currently at 1160 raid points. I am looking forward to break my own record this season.”
The Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar will air the PKL Season 8 auctions live on August 30 at 6:30 pm.
National
PV Sindhu Exits In Pre-Quarters Of Japan Masters, India’s Campaign Ends
India’s campaign came to a premature end as double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu crashed out in the pre-quarterfinals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 badminton tournament here on Thursday.
World no. 20 Sindhu was the lone Indian in contention after the exits of Lakshya Sen and women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Sindhu squandered a game lead to lose 21-17 16-21 17-21 against Canada’s Michelle Li, ranked 23rd in the world, in a women’s singles match that lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
It was neck and neck between the two shuttlers in the first game before Sindhu took a marginal 11-8 lead and from there on kept her nose just ahead to take early advantage.
Trailing, Li came out attacking in the second game and raced to a 8-3 lead before Sindhu clawed back as the scoreline read 16-16 at one time.
But Li then upped her game and pocketed five straight points to draw parity in the contest.
The decider witnessed a close battle between the two shuttlers till 17 points when Li forced the pace, pocketing four straight points to wrap up the match. The Canadian was also helped by Sindhu’s unforced errors.
Li will play Siouth Korea’s Yu Jin Sim in the quarterfinals.
National
Suryakumar Yadav Watches India Beat Afghanistan In 3rd T20I From Hospital Bed After Groin Surgery In Germany
India batter Suryakumar Yadav may not be a part of the recent T20I series winning squad against Afghanistan but he made sure to catch up on all the matches even from his hospital bed in Germany.
Surya underwent a successful groin surgery on Wednesday after which he watched India win the 3rd T20I in Bengaluru.
The No.1-ranked T20I batter went under the knife for a sports hernia, a condition for which KL Rahul was also operated upon, co-incidentally in Germany last year.”Surgery done. I want to thank everyone for their concerns and well wishes for my health, and I am happy to tell you all that I will be back very soon,” Surya said in a post on his social media accounts after the surgery.The 33-year-old batsman has been inactive since suffering a left ankle injury while fielding in the third T20I against South Africa at Johannesburg last month, shortly after achieving a century in 56 balls.
Subsequently, he was seen walking with a moonboot, indicating the severity of the injury. Numerous reports have also suggested that Suryakumar underwent surgery on the injured ankle.
Following this, he underwent rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru before traveling to Germany for a groin operation.
It remains uncertain whether Suryakumar will recover in time for the start of IPL 2024, scheduled to commence possibly from the third week of March.In the IPL, Suryakumar has been a key player for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. His availability will be crucial for the Indian team as they prepare for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled from June 1 to 29 in the USA and the West Indies.
National
IPL 2024 Auction: Mitchell Starc Becomes Most Expensive Player In History, Bought By KKR For ₹24.75 Crore
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc broke the all-time record for the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after he was bought for a whopping ₹24.75 Crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction in Dubai.
Starc broke the record for the highest bid in IPL auction history just minutes after his Australia captain Pat Cummins was sold for ₹20.50 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The left-arm pacer drew the maximum eyeballs when his name came up in the auction. The 33-year-old has not played in the IPL since 2015 after making his debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014.
KKR justify Starc’s price tag
“The entire salary cap for franchises when IPL started in 2008 was ₹20 crore. Things have changed.
“But our view is, when the auction is over all the 10 teams are going to walk out of the auction having spent ₹100 crores. And each team decides to slice it differently.”So what you have paid to somebody, up or down, is a matter of perspective. Ultimately we are all spending the same amount of money,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore justified the amount paid for Starc.
Notable Acquisitions in the IPL 2024 Auction
In addition to the significant acquisition of Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured the services of Travis Head, the hero of the World Cup final, for a substantial sum of Rs 6.80 crore.
Harshal Patel, previously with Royal Challengers Bangalore, emerged as a sought-after player, fetching a lucrative deal from Punjab Kings, who invested Rs 11.75 crore in the out-of-favor Indian pacer.
Daryl Mitchell, following his impressive performance in the ODI World Cup, enjoyed a substantial payday as Chennai Super Kings splurged Rs 14 crore to secure the services of the New Zealand batter.
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