February 8, 2022 – https://bhartiyanews24x7.com

8Feb

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India begin FIH Pro League campaign with 5-0 thrashing of France | Hockey News – Times of India

POTCHEFSTROOM (South Africa): Olympic bronze medallist India began their FIH Pro League Hockey campaign with a bang as they thrashed France 5-0 in a thoroughly dominant display on Tuesday. After a barren first quarter, India slammed three goals in the second before finding the target twice in the third. India got four penalty corners in the match from which they scored two. France got three PCs but wasted all of them. Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar scored from penalty corners in the 21st and 24th minutes respectively before Shamsher Singh made it 3-0 in the 28th minute with a field goal. Mandeep Singh (32nd) and Akashdeep Singh (41st) completed the tally for India who had won a historic Olympic bronze after 41 years in the Tokyo Games. Playing in their first match of the year, world ...

8Feb

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England omit James Anderson and Stuart Broad for West Indies tour: Reports | Cricket News – Times of India

England's all-time leading Test wicket takers James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been dropped for the three-Test tour against West Indies, British media reported on Tuesday. Fast bowlers Anderson and Broad have taken a combined 1,177 wickets in Test cricket. England will be led by assistant coach Paul Collingwood, who was named interim head coach after Chris Silverwood stepped down last week following the team's 4-0 series defeat in the Ashes against Australia. The England squad is set to fly out on Thursday. The first Test begins on March 8 in Antigua. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; ...

8Feb

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Wriddhiman Saha opts out of Bengal’s Ranji campaign after being told he won’t be required for Test matches | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a major development, senior wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has opted out of Bengal's Ranji Trophy campaign after being categorically told that he will not be picked for India's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in Mohali on March 4. It is understood that the new team management has conveyed to the national selectors that 37-year-old Saha, considered as one of world's premier glovesmen, isn't one for the future. Rishabh Pant has already been confirmed preferred keeper for the next few years and Kona Bharat showed great glove-work in Kanpur Test against New Zealand. "Wriddhiman has been categorically told by influential people in the team management that they want to move on and create some new back-ups alongside Rishabh Pant," a senior BCCI source privy to dev...

8Feb

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ISL: ATK Mohun Bagan storm into top-four with 2-1 win over Hyderabad | Football News – Times of India

BAMBOLIM: ATK Mohun Bagan broke into the top-four with a 2-1 win over league leaders Hyderabad FC and extended their unbeaten run to nine games in the Indian Super League on Tuesday. After a barren first half, Liston Colaco opened the scoring for ATKMB in the 56th minute with Manvir Singh (59th) doubling their advantage in the next three minutes. Joel Chianese (67th) pulled one back for Hyderabad but could not muster another goal as they succumbed to their third loss of the season. But, they still remain on top of the table with 26 points from 15 games. ATK Mohun Bagan moved to the fourth position with 23 points in their kitty from 13 games. Both teams started slowly but upped the ante as the game progressed. ATKMB looked the more promising side with Hugo Boumous creating a lot of chanc...

8Feb

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PKL: Ashish shines as Haryana Steelers beat Tamil Thalaivas | Pro-Kabaddi-League News – Times of India

BENGALURU: Ashish was the star for Haryana Steelers as they beat Tamil Thalaivas 37-29 in the Pro Kabaddi League on Tuesday. All-rounder Ashish had a night to remember, picking up 16 points -- including three tackle points -- and helping his Steelers team overcome a tough Thalaivas unit to jump to second on the standings. Ashish was supported well by his captain Vikash Kandola with eight points. Coach Rakesh Kumar didn't even have to use the likes of Meetu and Rohit Gulia from the bench as his Haryana team once again showed why they are rated among the best. Haryana started the match on the front foot with their cover defender duo of Jaideep and Mohit in form. There was no place for Surender Nada in the Haryana starting line-up as coach Rakesh Kumar brought in Akshay. Together, they kep...

8Feb

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West Indies all-rounder Akeal wants to impress in ODI series ahead of IPL auction | Cricket News – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: Rising West Indies all-rounder Akeal Hosein is aware that a significant performance in the ongoing ODI series against India could open the doors for him for the big-ticket IPL. Trailing 0-1 in the three-match ODI series here, the Kieron Pollard-led side is faced with a must-win situation in the second rubber here on Wednesday as the left-arm spin all-rounder wants to make all the difference in the slow conditions on offer. "Yes, we know, the IPL is the best league around. But I'm not really focused on that (IPL). The task at hand right now is these two games. They are very important for me, because it will determine the series," the 28-year-old said in a virtual media interaction on the eve of the second ODI. "Having said that, I think once I do the right things and perform w...

8Feb

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U-19 WC stars Raj Bawa, Harnoor Pannu included in Chandigarh Ranji squad | Cricket News – Times of India

CHANDIGARH: The UT Cricket Association (UTCA) selection committee on Tuesday decided to invest in the younger breed of cricketers by promoting the likes of Under-19 Cricket World Cup star Rajangad Bawa and Harnoor Singh Pannu for the upcoming Ranji Trophy, starting February 16. As reported by TOI on Monday, both Rajangad and Harnoor, who were part of India's victorious Under-19 cricket World Cup campaign in the West Indies, were picked in the Manan Vohra-led 20-member Chandigarh squad. All-rounder Gurinder Singh has been named Vohra's deputy for the tournament. According to an UTCA insider, both Rajangad and Harnoor's selection were on top of the selectors' mind, and were backed by UTCA president Sanjay Tandon. The UTCA president had on Saturday proposed to the BCCI secretary Jay Shah t...

8Feb

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Saqlain Mushtaq likely to continue as head coach for series against Australia | Cricket News – Times of India

KARACHI: Former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is likely to continue as head coach of Pakistan for the upcoming home series against Australia in March-April. Saqlain's future with the team was under a shadow recently when he resigned as head coach of international player development at the High Performance Centre while his interim tenure as head coach of the national team also ended with the tour to Bangladesh. A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Saqlain was most likely to continue as head coach for the Australia series. "He will be asked to continue as interim coach until the PCB makes a final call on who will be permanent coach of the national team after the Australia series," the source said. The source added that the PCB Chairman, Ramiz Raja had already spoken t...

8Feb

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India outclass France to open Pro League campaign

After the high of the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo, the Indian men’s hockey team started 2022 in style, thrashing France 5-0 in their opening match of the FIH Pro League at Potchefstroom, South Africa, on Tuesday. Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar got the first two goals from penalty corners before Shamsher Singh, Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh found the target to secure a thoroughly one-sided verdict. India face hosts South Africa in their next FIH Pro League encounter on Wednesday. The Indians, under head coach Graham Reid, took time to get into groove as the French exerted some pressure in the opening quarter, which ended goalless. The few opportunities that India got – including two successive penalty corners – were repelled by resolute defending or wasted by errant shooting. It...

8Feb

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Wriddhiman opts out of Bengal’s Ranji campaign after being told he won’t be required for Test matches

In a major development, senior wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has opted out of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy campaign after being categorically told that he will not be picked for India’s two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in Mohali on March 4. It is understood that the new team management has conveyed to the national selectors that 37-year-old Saha, considered as one of world’s premier glovesmen, isn’t one for the future. Rishabh Pant has already been confirmed preferred keeper for the next few years and Kona Bharat showed great glove-work in Kanpur Test against New Zealand. “Wriddhiman has been categorically told by influential people in the team management that they want to move on and create some new back-ups alongside Rishabh Pant,” a senior BCCI source privy to developments t...

8Feb

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Winter Olympic history-maker Ledecka wins third Games gold | More sports News – Times of India

ZHANGJIAKOU (China): Dual winter sports champion Ester Ledecka successfully defended her snowboard parallel giant slalom title at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday -- even if she did not immediately realise it. The 26-year-old Czech became the first woman to win a gold medal in two different sports at a Winter Olympics when she took skiing and snowboarding titles in Pyeongchang four years ago. She won snowboard parallel giant slalom gold again in the Chinese capital when she cruised to victory in the final against Austria's Daniela Ulbing. But Ledecka did not immediately realise that she was an Olympic champion again. "I was concentrating on each run and I was still thinking about what I could do better in the next run," she said. "And then I realised that there wasn't going to be any oth...

8Feb

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Ranji Trophy: Five-day quarantine, squad size capped at 30, Cheteshwar Pujara versus Ajinkya Rahane in Ahmedabad | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The opening round of Ranji Trophy matches will begin from February 17 following a five-day quarantine and the squad size, including support staff, has been capped at 30 as the BCCI aims to stage the 38-team event across nine different bio-bubbles amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCCI had earlier announced that the Ranji Trophy, to be held after two years due to the pandemic, will take place in two phases, before and after the IPL. On Tuesday, the board issued "staging guidelines" to the nine host associations. The five-page document, which is in PTI's possession, states that each squad can have a maximum of 30 members, including a minimum of 20 players, with the number of support staff capped at 10. "20 players will be eligible for match fees (Playing XI will be eligible for 1...

8Feb

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India vs West Indies 2nd ODI probable XI: KL Rahul returns for India; WI might field same team

India will take on West Indies in the 2nd match of the three-match series in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium on Wednesday as focus will be on vice-captain KL Rahul’s batting position on his return from a short break. Rahul might replace Ishan Kishan at the top of the order. Except that India will probably field the same team as the last match. Although, if Rahul prefers to bat in the middle order, then newcomer Deepak Hooda may have to sit this one out. Interestingly, senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer, who had tested positive for Covid-19 last week, had a light training session on Tuesday evening after recovering and completing their isolation period. However, it is highly unlikely that they will be straight away drafted into the playing XI for the second ODI. West Ind...

8Feb

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ATK Mohun Bagan storm into top-four with 2-1 win over Hyderabad

ATK Mohun Bagan broke into the top-four with a 2-1 win over league leaders Hyderabad FC and extended their unbeaten run to nine games in the Indian Super League here on Tuesday. After a barren first half, Liston Colaco opened the scoring for ATKMB in the 56th minute with Manvir Singh (59th) doubling their advantage in the next three minutes. Joel Chianese (67th) pulled one back for Hyderabad but could not muster another goal as they succumbed to their third loss of the season. But, they still remain on top of the table with 26 points from 15 games. ATK Mohun Bagan moved to the fourth position with 23 points in their kitty from 13 games. FULL-TIME | #HFCATKMB @atkmohunbaganfc register their first victory against @HydFCOfficial, all thanks to goals from @colaco_liston and @manvir_singh...

8Feb

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IPL auction recap: Do the big bucks always produce big performances? Not really | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The 'King' of the T20 leagues Indian Premier League (IPL) is less than two months away from its 15th edition. And before it embarks on that journey, it is all set to change the fortunes of multiple players across the globe as the gavel comes down in the upcoming IPL 2022 auction to sell the hot picks. The next edition of the IPL player auction is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13 with 590 players set to go under the hammer - out of this 370 are Indian players and 220 are overseas players. All the 10 franchises, including the two new entrants Lucknow and Ahmedabad, will battle it out to buy the best of the talents on offer in intense bidding wars. They are ready to shell out mind boggling amounts of money, as is usually the case, to snatch the best of ...

8Feb

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Smriti Mandhana rises to 5th, Mithali Raj maintains 2nd spot in ICC ODI rankings | Cricket News – Times of India

DUBAI: India opener Smriti Mandhana gained two places to rise to fifth while her captain Mithali Raj maintained her second spot among batters in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings on Tuesday. Mandhana has 710 rating points in her kitty while Raj has 738. Australia's Alyssa Healy remained at the top spot with 742 points. Other Australians Beth Mooney (719) and Amy Satterthwaite (717) are at third and fourth places respectively. Among the bowlers, veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami retained her second spot with 727 rating points, behind Australia's Jess Jonassen (773). Australia's Ellyse Perry was back at the top of the list of all-rounders after a fine show in the second ODI of their three-match series against England. The 31-year-old scored a steady 64-ball 40 and took three for 12 in...

8Feb

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Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis tests positive for Covid-19 before Australia T20I series | Cricket News – Times of India

Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their Twenty20 International series in Australia, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday. Mendis was named in the 20-member squad last month after returning from a suspension imposed for breaching the team's bio-bubble anti-coronavirus protocols during their tour of England in July. "Mendis was found to be positive during a routine Rapid Antigen Test (RAT)," the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board said in a statement. "Mendis is currently undergoing Covid-19 protocols and placed in isolation since Monday." The five-match T20I series is set to begin in Sydney on Friday. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fb...

8Feb

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Bailey dismisses claims that lack of support from senior players led to Langer’s departure

Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey has dismissed Justin Langer’s claims that a lack of backing from senior players and support staff led to the former opener’s departure as the national team head coach. Langer resigned from the post on Saturday when he was only offered a six-month contract extension until October’s T20 World Cup final, despite guiding Australia to victory at the T20 World Cup before overseeing a 4-0 drubbing of England in the Ashes. “I feel for him,” Bailey told reporters on Tuesday. “Absolutely no one deserves to have the saga that has been played out as publicly as it has been. “Clearly he didn’t get the length of contract extension offer that he was after so it hasn’t been ideal, but I don’t subscribe to the fact that it was individuals that were key t...

8Feb

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What Hardik at his best, and his possible alternatives, bring to the table

At his best, few do what Hardik Pandya does. His gifts are rare and several — like hitting the first ball he faces out of the ground; like whipping up a six-hitting carnage, like clocking 140 kph with his first ball; like seaming at this pace in favourable conditions. He can wear several garbs — that of the selfless, single-ticking sidekick for Virat Kohli; that of the tie-end-up support act for Jasprit Bumrah, a finisher with the bat as well as the ball. On seaming surfaces, he can move the ball both ways; on sluggish decks, he unleashes his cutters and slower balls; he brings balance and ballast, but only when he is at his best. Pandya is like a lab-designed multitasking specimen of a cricketer, but for a body that wilts in the cauldron of international cricket. There could be players...

8Feb

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IND vs WI 2nd ODI LIVE Streaming: When and where to watch match live?

LIVE Stream India vs West Indies match Online: Focus will be on vice-captain KL Rahul’s batting position on his return from a short break as a buoyant India aim for another demolition act against the West Indies in the second ODI to seal the three-match series on Wednesday. The India spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar ran riot as they shot out West Indies for a meagre 176 and then skipper Rohit Sharma bossed the chase with a blistering 60, as the hosts recorded an easy six-wicket win at the Motera. Squads: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Cha...