Sania Mirza announces international return after 2 years of maternity break

• Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza on Thursday confirmed that she will be back to competitive tennis at Hobart International in January 2020, two years after taking a maternity break.

The 33-year-old, who last played at China Open in October 2017, will team up with Ukraine's Nadiia Kichenok, the current world number 38.

Sania, married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, gave birth to their first son, Izhaan, in October last year.

"I am playing in Hobart, then I am playing the Australian Open. I am planning to play a tournament in Mumbai, which is a USD 25,000 (ITF women event) next month, but I am 50-50 about it, so let's see how my wrist behaves. We will see, but Hobart and Australian Open (for sure)," she said at a press conference.

Sania, winner of six Grand Slam titles, said she is back to her best shape.

"There are a lot of changes when you have a baby. Your routine and sleep pattern changes. I (now) feel fit, my body is where it used to be before I had the baby. It was only six-seven months ago, where I thought about it as a realistic possibility," she said.

Sania will partner American Rajeev Ram for the mixed doubles at the Australian Open.

She was speaking after inaugurating the newly re-laid tennis courts at the iconic Khar Gymkhana here in presence of Mahesh Bhupathi, Gymkhana's President Vivek Devnani and secretary Gaurav Kapadia.

Sania said she encountered a bout with Chikungunya fever recently.

"Three months ago I got this virus Chikangunya, that was a setback because for two weeks I was sick. I have left wrist pain out of the blue, because of this virus and it can last up to three months to one year. All and all I feel good, today I can tell you that I am ready to compete again. Of course, it will take me time to the level that I was playing (before), but it is good start for me to feel good physically," she said.

IPL 2020 to decide Kuldeep's place in T20 World Cup squad: Sanjay Bangar

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has reckoned that next year's IPL is going to be massive for Kuldeep Yadav, saying a good outing there will earn him a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

Kuldeep recently returned to India's T20I squad for the West Indies series after a gap of nine months. He had last played the shorter format against New Zealand in February early this year.

"I'm a massive Kuldeep Yadav fan and in terms of strike rates you see he is the quickest to 100 ODI wickets and even in the shorter format, if you look at the match we won in England, he picked up five wickets at a time where the opposition was running away from the match," Bangar told 'Star Sports'.

"I wouldn't count out Kuldeep Yadav, it's just that he's had a couple of poor games in the IPL last season. For him, this IPL is going to be a massive factor and if he does really well, it will be very hard to keep him out."

Bangar also believed Ravinder Jadeja's bowling prowess makes him a better option than Krunal Pandya in India's World T20 squad.

"You require a wrist spinner in the T20 format, it has been a very major component in India's success wherein 2 wrist spinners played a massive role in most of the one day's and T20 series the team has had across conditions hence you will need a bowler who is capable of bowling the complete 4 overs and also bat at No.7," he said.

Hence, I feel Ravinder Jadeja edges over Krunal Pandya here as Krunal hasn't been able to deliver the complete 4 overs at times and Jadeja has been in great form recently."

However, batting great VVS Laxman said it is going to be tough for Kuldeep to earn a place in India's squad for next year's T20 World Cup.

"Kuldeep Yadav hit two blows when the team was under pressure; he and Krunal Pandya got those important runs at the finishing stage of India's innings against West Indies in the first T20 International last year," he said.

"I would invest in Washington Sundar. With Sundar, the advantage is that he can bowl in the power play and the tough overs. We have seen that and he can extract more bounce on the Australian wickets because the way he releases the ball, he can use the crease and in Australia it is not necessary you look to turn the ball, but you can vary the pace and extract the bounce and deceive the batsman as its going to be big grounds.

"So, I would think it would be tough for Kuldeep currently, but you never know what happens just before the World Cup," he added.

Kuldeep has played six Tests, 53 ODIs and 18 T20Is, grabbing more than 150 wickets across all formats.

MS Dhoni will wait with patience to see how Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson perform: VVS Laxman

Laxman expects Dhoni to be back provided he performs well in the IPL
Dhoni has not played international cricket since World Cup 2019
Dhoni on Wednesday said he should be left alone till January 2020



Former India batsman VVS Laxman feels MS Dhoni can come back if youngsters Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson fail to make use of the opportunities that come their way in the near future.


VVS Laxman said MS Dhoni, according to him, will take a call on his international future after the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020. The batting great added that Dhoni can be looked at if he performs well for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).


Dhoni's international cricket future has become a matter of intense speculation as the World Cup-winning former captain has not played since India's exit from World Cup 2019.


Dhoni made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour and took a sabbatical during which he trained with the Para Regiment of the Indian Army. He was also not part of India's limited-overs squads for series against South Africa and Bangladesh.


While images of him training in Ranchi raised expectations of an early comeback, Dhoni was not named in the T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against West Indies at home.


"I think MS Dhoni will wait with patience to see the performance of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Whenever he gets an opportunity and he will take a call after the IPL because the way I am seeing it, MS Dhoni is preparing himself for the IPL. I'm sure he will do well like he has done whenever he plays and leads CSK," Laxman told Star Sports, as quoted by PTI.


"If both these youngsters don't grab their opportunities, probably there is a thought that MS Dhoni can come back provided he shows that form in the IPL leading up to the World Cup.

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Andy Murray using management company to develop Britain's next sports stars

Three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals, one knighthood and a place guaranteed among the greatest British sportspeople of all time - imagine having Sir Andy Murray in your corner...

For the first time, double Wimbledon champion Murray has spoken about his new venture in sports management.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the 30-year-old Scot explains his plan to recruit and mentor top prospects, while still competing at the highest level himself - and how he will use his own experiences of the pressure and pitfalls faced by an up-and-coming athlete.

'I was too young'

Murray started playing tennis at the age of three.

Two years later he began competing and his potential was quickly recognised, although on reflection, Murray says, there are aspects of his development he would change.

"I signed with a management company for the first time when I was 12, 13 years old, which to me is ridiculous," Murray admits. "It's way, way too young. You don't need that pressure.

"You're trying to become a professional and certainly my parents were not experienced in dealing with those situations.

"You can get yourself into trouble by signing long-term contracts that might not be in your best interests. Things like that you can avoid if you've got the right people around you."

'I want to work with the best'

Murray says he decided to start up his own management company after his maiden Wimbledon triumph in 2013.

"Throughout my career as a professional - and actually when I was a junior as well - I worked with three or four different companies and found a number of people who I liked and trusted," said Murray. "That's how it began.

"Then I thought I could look at helping some younger British athletes go through that transition phase from juniors into the senior ranks and mentor them along the way.

"It's something that interests me a lot. I want to work with the best British athletes, whether that's male or female."

Murray set up 77 Sports Management, an offshoot of the group that looks after him. It intends to provide recruits with access to the player himself as well as much of the set-up around him - personnel, sports science, nutrition, facilities, commercial opportunities and more.

"If there's anything they, their family, or anyone around them wants to ask or talk to me about, then that's what I'll do," he adds.

"I don't want to be imposing my views or ideas on anyone. But I think that's one of the nice things about having an athlete as part of the management company.

"Often the people in management companies haven't played the sport or been athletes themselves, so hopefully that's a little extra thing I can add."

'I need to learn about other sports'

Women's Football

A Fran Kirby-inspired England scored four goals in 12 minutes as they thrashed Kazakhstan to maintain their perfect start to World Cup qualifying.

Mel Lawley scored from close range on her full international debut, and substitute Kirby added a second-half penalty with her first touch.

The Chelsea forward was involved in both of Nikita Parris' goals, while Izzy Christiansen's tap-in capped an easy night for England in Colchester.

England are second in Group 1.

After what could be Mo Marley's last game in interim charge, England are one point behind Wales, who beat Bosnia Herzegovina 1-0 on Tuesday and have played one game more.

The Lionesses are still yet to concede a goal in the qualifying campaign for the 2019 World Cup in France - with Kazakhstan failing to test returning goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who made her first appearance since breaking her leg at Euro 2017.

Wales edge to narrow win in Bosnia
Northern Ireland get first qualifying points
Republic of Ireland hold Netherlands
Marley, who has won two and lost the other of her three matches in charge, has applied to succeed the sacked Mark Sampson on a permanent basis - with interviews to be held on 4 December.

With Karen Carney (ankle) and Demi Stokes (hip) pulling out of the squad through injury, Marley handed Manchester City's Keira Walsh her international debut - and brought Jess Carter off the bench for her England bow.

Kazakhstan, ranked 66 in the world, were not helped by an injury to goalkeeper Oksana Zheleznyak - who struggled before coming off at half-time, and though her replacement Irina Sandalova performed admirably she could do nothing to stop England's onslaught.

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