Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a double whammy on consecutive days. After it was revealed that KKR’s experienced Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has pulled out of the ongoing IPL due to his international and family commitments, it has now come to light that regular skipper Shreyas Iyer would not be able to take part in the tournament due to a back injury. Although KKR have appointed Nitish Rana as the stand-in skipper, they still nurtured hopes of Iyer’s return at a later stage in the tournament. Apart from being the skipper, Iyer is also their main batter capable of holding the innings together. Iyer will be travelling abroad for a surgery and is set to miss the World Test Championship against Australia in June as well.
Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu gets 4-year ban
The National Anti Doping Agency's (NADA) Disciplinary Panel has imposed a four-year suspension on Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu, a two-time winner at the Commonwealth Games, for failing a drug test last year. The 29-year-old had tested positive for an anabolic steroid - Drostanolone Metabolite - that features in the World Anti-doping Agency’s ( WADA) prohibited list. Her dope sample was collected in-competition on September 30, 2022 during the National Games in Gujarat last year. Sanjita’s ban will commence from November 12, 2022, the date of her provisional suspension. Sanjita would lose the silver medal at the National Games as a result of the positive test.
Pujara hits ton for Sussex
Cheteshwar Pujara, leading Sussex, scored a century in the first innings against Durham in the the County Championship last week. Pujara brought up his ton off 134 balls, slamming back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse in the 55th over on the second day. Walking to the middle when his team was at 44 for 2, Pujara scored 115 off 163 balls as he shared a vital 112-run partnership with Tom Clark.
