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In this issue

20-10-201828 STORIES

V.V.S. Laxman (middle), Michael Clarke (right) and Jatin Sapru at a media interaction. [File photo]

For The Love of Sport

Jatin Sapru: Anil bhai’s 10th wicket was surreal

Jatin Sapru fell in love with cricket after Zimbabwe’s tour of India during 1992-93. He got a BDM Kashmir willow bat, designed the Reebok and the Nike

Li Na’s post-match interviews were hilarious, with her husband Jiang Shan often the butt of her good-natured jokes.

Should fans vote for Tennis Hall of Fame candidates?

All, or nearly all, members of the ITHF Voting Group have established criteria and take our mission very seriously. On the other hand, the essence of

Paul Fein

Batters require speed, agility, footwork, balance and tactical ability.

Testing time

Testing is primarily used for help in designing the most appropriate athletic training program for short-term, mid-term and long-term benefits.

Suresh Menon

R. Vaishali and her younger brother R. Praggnanandhaa have achieved significant success at a pretty young age.

Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali: Sibling success story

R. Vaishali and her younger brother R. Praggnanandhaa have achieved significant success at a pretty young age. While Pragg, as he is affectionately ca

K. Keerthivasan

Swapna has been living with 12 toes all her life and competing with normal shoes. Now, adidas has come forward to make special shoes for her.

Swapna Barman: 5 events, 12 toes and a stickler for figures!

I did not think that I would come this far. An Asian Games gold was beyond my imagination.

'We are a very closely knit family and it is natural that they will be a source of guidance in some way or the other,' says Sania Mirza.

Sania Mirza: Shoaib and I’ve shortlisted names without a battle!

Expecting her first child, Sania Mirza shares her thoughts with Sportstar during an exclusive interaction.

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Real Kashmir qualified for the top tier of the I-League after emerging champion in the 2017-18 Second Division I-League.

Of floods, curfew and football – Real Kashmir!

Things have been moving at a brisk pace ever since Real Kashmir became the first club from Jammu and Kashmir to enter the elite football I-League. The

Virat Kohli excelled as a batsman, but fumbled as a skipper.

India's tour of England - Was it really that dismal?

It surely was disappointing to lose the series 4-1, but that the matches were not one-sided speaks volumes about the grit and determination of this In

In the Hindi movie, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, based on former Indian athlete Milkha Singh’s life story, Farhan Akhtar portrayed the title role to perfection.

Sports movies need the clash of personalities

The movies that work despite handicaps rely on one of two elements — nostalgia or treatment.

Suresh Menon

The Patna Pirates team, the PKL champion for the last three seasons, at a road show on arrival home on November 12, 2017.

Super Raids, Super Tackles — Pro Kabaddi going all out!

The Pro Kabaddi League, with its 12 franchises, pre-season player auctions, live television coverage and smart packaging, has taken what was considere

Shyam Vasudevan

Shyam Vasudevan

The Pro Kabaddi League, first held in 2014, has served as a platform for international players to showcase their talent and further hone their skills alongside India’s best.

Kabaddi — Has India lost its mojo?

The loss of India’s Asian Games stronghold on kabaddi has raised a fierce debate over the country’s stature in the sport and the role the PKL has play

Shyam Vasudevan

Shyam Vasudevan

Rishank Devadiga, one of the finest raiders in India right now.

UP Yoddha: Needs to improve defence

Other than captain Rishank Devadiga, Prashanth Kumar Rai and defender Jeeva Kumar, UP Yoddha has no big names. But a bigger problem could be its defen

Anirudh Velamuri

Anirudh Velamuri

U Mumba has gone for a complete overhaul this year, released its captain Anup Kumar and bringing in Fazel Atrachali.

U Mumba: A complete overhaul

U Mumba released Anup Kumar, who captained the side for the first five editions of the PKL, brought in Iranian right-corner Fazel Atrachali for Rs1 cr

Telugu Titans' Rahul Chaudhari on a raid against Bengal Warriors during a Pro Kabaddi seaons 5 match.

Telugu Titans: Time to live up to the name

The Telugu Titans’ best finish in PKL has been fourth place in season 4, and it finished fifth last year. The team will depend on star raider Rahul Ch

Hari Kishore M

Ajay Thakur had his best season till date in 2017, averaging more than 9.5 raid points per game.

Tamil Thalaivas: Seeking redemption

In its first PKL season last year, Tamil Thalaivas finished last in Zone B qualifying. For captain Ajay Thakur, league success will also be some conso

Aashin Prasad

Puneri Paltan: Final hurdle beckons

With a solid defensive unit, the acquisition of an experienced raider and a change in coaching personnel for the Puneri Paltan, the side has everythin

Shyam Vasudevan

Shyam Vasudevan

Pardeep Narwal scored a whopping 21 points in 25 attempts for Patna Pirates.

Patna Pirates: The favourite again

The best player in the league. The most-balanced side in the league. Three straight titles. What more need be said about the Patna Pirates?

Amal John

The acquisition of Deepak Niwas Hooda for Rs1.15 crore signalled the side’s intent, winning a bidding war with Haryana Steelers and Dabang Delhi for his signature.

Jaipur Pink Panthers: Hoping to regain lost glory

The Jaipur Pink Panthers chose not to retain any player from 2017, and the team’s acquisitions this year – from Deepak Niwas Hooda to Mohit Chhillar –

Suhith Kumar

Monu Goyat, the most expensive player ever in the PKL at Rs1.51 crore, will be in the spotlight for Haryana.

Haryana Steelers: The real test

The Steelers went for a near-complete overhaul during the auction, and the team now has Monu Goyat — the most expensive player ever in the PKL — in pu

With 159 raid points in 24 games last season, Sachin Tanwar was outstanding and finished among the top 10 offensive players in the competition.

Gujarat Fortunegiants: A new-look side

The Gujarat Fortunegiants will feature mostly new faces after Iranian aces Fazel Atrachali and Abozar Mighani have left the team, as have other experi

Nandakumar Marar

Thirty-year-old Iranian Meyraj Sheykh – an expert raider and defender – will lead the attack for Dabang Delhi.

Dabang Delhi: Well balanced, on paper

Dabang Delhi, which has never reached the playoffs in PKL history, will attempt to reverse the narrative come season 6.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Tiger Woods after winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta on September 23... a victory of significance after five years.

Tiger, Tiger burning bright!

Welcome back, Tiger Woods. Thank you for coming back. We waited a long time for this.

The Bengaluru Bulls decided to retain its bankable raider Rohit Kumar this year and build a team around him.

Bengaluru Bulls: Looking for a first

The closest the team has come to winning a title was in the second season, when it finished runner-up. It couldn’t make it beyond the group stage in 2

The West Indies skipper lofts Harbhajan Singh (not in picture) for a six in the second Test of the 2002 series against India at Chepauk.

The ‘very Indian’ guy from Guyana

As Carl Hooper, 51, gears up to visit India after nearly 16 years, this time as a radio commentator for the India-West Indies Test series, he gives in

M. S. Dhoni is a certainty only in the 50-over format after he was ignored for the T20s against the West Indies and Australia. He retired from Tests in 2014.

A new Asia Cup record

Captain Virat Kohli with coach Ravi Shastri. The think tank should find ways of stabilising the team’s core.

Time for Team India to find its unified voice

As another set of games between familiar rivals unfolds, we have to accept that the after-effects of the series against the West Indies will be minima

K. C. Vijaya Kumar

Surjeet Singh, who was second among the tacklers in the previous edition, is Bengal Warriors’ tackler-in-chief and its costliest player.

Bengal Warriors: Finding a balance

The Bengal Warriors began training in the middle of August, and the focus for the new season has been on strengthening all departments.

View from the paddock

Team orders: a necessary evil

In general, there seems to be a very negative reaction from the fans to what Mercedes did in Sochi. I understand their frustration, but Toto Wolff did

Karun Chandhok

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