Saina Nehwal misses PBL-3 opener against PV Sindhu due to ankle niggle

Guwahati: Awadhe Warriors' star attraction Sania Nehwal was ruled out of the opening match of the 3rd Premier Badminton League (PBL) against Chennai Smashers on Saturday, here, as she had not fully recovered from a right ankle niggle.

Awadhe coach Anup Sridhar, however, was hopeful Saina will turn out at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi for their second match against North East Warriors on December 30.

Sridhar, who, along with Siyadath Ullah, is part of the Awadhe coaching setup, said in a statement on Saturday: "Saina is recovering from a small ankle issue which she had developed a few weeks back. She is recovering well and we are expecting her to be fully fit for the next match."

Saina`s absence on the inaugural day's match of the PBL meant her high-voltage clash with Chennai Smashers' PV Sindhu could not take place. 

But their meeting cannot be ruled out completely as both teams can still face off in the semi-final or final. 

Sindhu will be playing Sai Uttejitha Rao of Awadhe Warriors in the last match of the tie that also happens to be a trump match for the Chennai Smashers team.