Satwik-Chirag sign off with a maiden bronze medal at World Championships
Tokyo (PTI): Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with a maiden bronze medal in the men's doubles competition of the World Championships after going down narrowly to Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals here on Friday.
The world number 7 Indian pair flattered to deceive as it squandered an opening game advantage to go down 22-20 18-21 16-21 in a pulsating 77-minute clash to bring an end to the Indian challenge at the prestigious tournament.
It was the sixth successive defeat against the Malaysian pair for Satwik and Chirag, who had lost to the same combination at the mixed team final of the Commonwealth Games early this month.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable show by the young Indian pair as it ensured India continued to return with a medal from the World Championships since 2011, the year the country won its first doubles medal with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa returning with a bronze.
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Virat Kohli, KL Rahul likely to miss upcoming Ranji Trophy matches
Bengaluru: Star batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are expected to miss the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy, as both have reportedly informed the BCCI's medical team about carrying injuries. As a result, neither will be able to represent their respective state teams in the next round of the tournament, set to begin on January 23.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Kohli had neck pain and had taken an injection on January 8, three days after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in Sydney. Kohli told the BCCI medical staff that he was still experiencing pain, ruling him out of Delhi's game against Saurashtra in Rajkot.
KL Rahul is still recovering from an elbow niggle and will likely miss Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab. He has conveyed to the BCCI medical staff his concern about the issue, and they are monitoring him currently, PTI reported.
However, both the batters have a chance to play in the season's last final round, starting on January 30.
Meanwhile, the BCCI recently unveiled a stringent set of 10-point disciplinary guidelines. They have made it compulsory for each centrally-contracted player to represent their state teams in domestic cricket to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts.
The board also stated that if any player is unavailable, he needs permission from the national chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
