Harbhajan Singh 'will do what is required to succeed' at the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders

Harbhajan Singh has not played competitive cricket in nearly two years and is entering his first bio-bubble environment since the Covid-19 pandemic began, but feels sure of "what needs to be done" as he prepares to represent his third IPL franchise - the Kolkata Knight Riders - in what will be his 13th IPL season.

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IPL 2021: Super excited, eagerly waiting to join CSK camp, says Raina

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina, who had missed the Indian Premier League (2020), is "super excited" about joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad ahead of this year's tournament.

Raina had missed the 13th edition of the cash-rich league after pulling out of the tournament due to personal reasons.

The star batsman has been a key cog in CSK's batting wheel and in his absence, CSK had a dismal outing in last year's IPL.

The Chennai-based franchise finished at the seventh position in the points table and with Raina joining the side, CSK will be looking to get back to winning ways in IPL 2021.

CSK on Wednesday shared Raina's practice video in which the batsman can be seen hitting all his trademark shots.

"In awe of the southpaw! #ChinnaThala - Coming Soon with #WhistlePodu #Yellove," CSK tweeted.

Reacting to the video, Raina said," Super Excited and Eagerly waiting to come to our den."

Meanwhile, CSK skipper MS Dhoni has started his preparations for the season beginning from April 9.

Last week, CSK posted a video on Twitter in which Dhoni can be seen hammering the ball out of the park during the net session.

CSK will start their season against runners-up Delhi Capitals at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

Before the mini-auction, Dhoni-led CSK had released Harbhajan Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay and Piyush Chawla from the squad. Shane Watson who had retired after the IPL 2020 season will also not be seen in action. Apart from the Aussie all-rounder, no other foreign player was released from the squad.

In the players' auction held on February 18, Chennai bought the likes of Moeen Ali and K Gowtham. The side also added Cheteshwar Pujara to their ranks for the upcoming IPL 2021.

CSK retained players: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Narayan Jagadeesan, KM Asif, Lungi Ngidi, Sai Kishore.

Source:business-standard.com/

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Former Mavericks center Shawn Bradley paralyzed after a bicycle accident

 The Dallas Mavericks released a statement on behalf of retired 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley on Wednesday, revealing that he was recently struck by an automobile while riding his bike and suffered a serious spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed.

Shawn Bradley released the first public details today of the accident he suffered on January 20, 2021. Bradley, the 7'6" former NBA player with the Dallas Mavericks, was struck from behind by an automobile while riding his bicycle a mere block from his home in St. George, Utah. The accident caused a traumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. After undergoing neck fusion surgery, Bradley has spent the last eight weeks hospitalized and undergoing rehabilitation.

Bradley, a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spent two years performing missionary work in Australia after his freshman year at Brigham Young University. Following his mission, Bradley was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the number two pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, but he spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Mavericks. His very strong sense of faith is being tested as he participates in grueling physical therapy and learns how to cope with the challenges of paraplegia. Doctors have advised him that his road to recovery will be both long and arduous, perhaps an even more difficult physical challenge than playing professional basketball.

With his wife Carrie at his side around the clock, and supported by an amazing team of rehabilitation specialists and family, Bradley is in good spirits. He plans to use his accident as a platform to bring greater public awareness to the importance of bicycle safety.

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Naomi Osaka's 24-year-old Sister Mari Retires from Tennis

The older sister of tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has announced her retirement from the sport ... saying she's just not having fun.

24-year-old Mari Osaka made her pro debut in 2011, according to the WTA website. She cracked the WTA's Top 1,000 ranking list in 2012 and made it all the way up to #280 in 2018.

But, she never really caught fire on the court -- failing to win a major tournament during her career. She's currently ranked #340 in the world and has only amassed $93,055 in career prize money.

Her sister Naomi has made close to $20 MILLION in prize money with signature victories over superstars like Serena Williams and Jennifer Brady.

Mari Osaka last competed in an International Tennis Federation tournament in Georgia back in January ... and has since decided to hang up her racket for good.

"I am retired from playing tennis," Mari announced on social media.

"It was a journey which I didn’t enjoy ultimately but I’m grateful for all the memories and support I’ve gained and received over the years from the sport."

"I’m moving on now so you can look forward to new fun projects upcoming in the future."

Mari and Naomi have a pretty tight relationship -- with Naomi playfully teasing Mari at the Australian Open back in February ... writing a message for everyone to see which read, "Mari stop sending weird images in the groupchat!"

So, what's next for Mari? She's big into fashion -- and most recently whipped up some cool designer COVID masks to raise money for UNICEF.

Source:https://www.tmz.com/

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