Month: February 2024

Kush Maini scored his maiden pole position in FIA Formula 2 as he beat out teammate Gabriel Bortoleto to seal a P1 start for Saturdays Feature Race.
On his final attempt in Qualifying, Maini completed a lap of 1:41.696 to go to the top of the timesheets. Bortoleto followed his teammate across the line to place second, two-tenths off the pole-winning effort.
Campos Racings Isack Hadjar completed a lap good enough for third having led the way earlier in the session.
It was Maini who set the early pace for Invicta Racing aided by a strong middle sector, he completed a lap of 1:42.533 to lead Hauger by just 0.045s.
With 10 minutes gone, the drivers returned to the pitlane for some fresher tyres. However, that was when Campos elected to send Hadjar and Josep María Martí out on track for the first time in the session.
Hadjar then went to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:42.418, with Martí behind him across the line going to second, 0.021s off the Frenchmans benchmark effort.
The rest of the field then emerged from the pit lane ahead of their final runs with Maloney going fastest. But the Bajans time was quickly eclipsed by the Invicta pair of Maini and Bortoleto, with Hadjar then going to third.
Maloney, and a number of other drivers including ART Grands Prixs Victor Martins, made their second attempts at the top spot, but with the Pirelli rubber not offering more than one push lap on the abrasive Bahrain tarmac, no driver could eclipse Mainis time.
With Invicta locking out the front row and Hadjar following in third, Zane Maloney and Dennis Hauger rounded out the top five for Rodin Motorsport and MP Motorsport respectively.
Rookies Ritomo Miyata and Zak O Sullivan followed for Rodin and ART Grand Prix, while Enzo Fittipaldi placed eighth for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Victor Martins qualified ninth for ART, with Taylor Barnard set to line up on pole for Fridays Sprint Race after qualifying 10th for PHM AIX Racing.
Attentions now turns to the 23-lap Sakhir Sprint Race with lights out set to occur at 17:15 local time on Friday, March 1.

FeatureWhile Stokes’ leadership style has attracted all the attention, Rohit has achieved better results with more obvious calls

Richarlison’s stunning strike against Everton at Goodison Park has been shortlisted for February’s Budweiser Goal of the Month by the Premier League.
The in-form striker – nine goals in his last 12 appearances, nominated for the Premier League’s EA SPORTS Player of the Month in January – struck twice in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.
Both were special. The first was a first-time volley off his left foot after Destiny Udogie’s raid down the left. His second and nominated goal arrived on 41 minutes as we again broke down Everton’s left, Timo Werner rolled the ball back to James Maddison, he touched on to Richy who pinged a curler beyond Jordan Pickford into the top corner.

France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned for four years for a doping offence earlier this season, Italian media reported on Thursday.
Sky Sport Italy and La Repubblica reported the sport prosecutors request for a four-year ban was granted.
list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4
list 2 of 4
list 3 of 4
list 4 of 4
end of list
Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italys national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September after testing positive for testosterone a banned substance.
The test, performed after Juves 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on August 20, detected testosterone, a hormone that increases athletes endurance. The 30-year-old was an unused substitute in that game.
Pogbas positive doping test was also confirmed in a counter-analysis on a second sample in October.
Juventus did not comment but a source confirmed that the club had been notified about the decision of a four-year ban and would assess the next steps.
The Frenchman has had a torrid second spell with the Turin-based outfit due to injuries following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
The 2018 World Cup winner barely played last season due to knee and hamstring injuries, as well as knee surgery, which prevented him playing for France at the World Cup in Qatar.

Preview
Comilla Victorians (COV) are set to clash with Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League final. The anticipation is high as these two teams reunite in the final, reminiscent of their intense battle in 2022, where Comilla Victorians clinched victory by a mere one run. Fortune Barishal (FBA) enter the final with momentum, boasting three consecutive wins, including a significant triumph over Comilla Victorians. 
Barishals bowling prowess has been instrumental in restricting opponents to low scores, a trend they will aim to continue Comilla Victorians, after posting 140 for 8 in their recent encounter against Fortune Barishal, rebounded impressively in their subsequent match, led by remarkable performances from skipper Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy. With the prospect of crucial bowling performances, both teams are keen to seize the advantage by bowling first.
Match Details:

Match	Comilla Victorians vs Fortune Barishal, Bangladesh Premier League 2024 Final
Venue	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
Date & Time	Friday, March 1, 6:30 PM (IST)
Live Broadcast and Streaming Details	FanCode app or website

Pitch Report:
The Bangladesh Premier League 2024 final between Comilla Victorians and Fortune Barishal is set to take place at Dhaka’s Shere Bangla National Stadium. The pitch typically favours spin bowlers, offering them an extra edge as the game progresses, while batters must remain vigilant to convert their shots into substantial runs. On match day, Dhaka expects sunny weather with temperatures peaking at 29 degrees Celsius, and no rainfall predicted.
Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played	8
Comilla Victorians won	4
Fortune Barishal won	4

Probable Playing XIs
Comilla Victorians (COV):
Sunil Narine, Johnson Charles, Litton Das (c / wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Rohanat Doullah Borson, Musfik Hasan.
Fortune Barishal (FBA):
Tamim Iqbal (c), Kyle Mayers, Soumya Sarkar, David Miller, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, James Fuller, Mohammad Saifuddin, Obed McCoy, Taijul Islam.
Probable Best Batter of the Match
Comilla Victorians boast a formidable batting lineup with quality batters and experienced finishers. Among them is wicketkeeper Jaker Ali, who adds depth to the lower order. In their recent clash in Dhaka, Ali showcased his prowess with a blistering 38 off 16 balls against Fortune Barishal. His contribution highlighted the team’s batting strength and versatility in crucial moments.
Click Here: Most Runs in BPL 2024
Probable Best Bowler of the Match
Fortune Barishal’s bowling unit has been exceptional, with key players consistently delivering impactful performances. Despite Mehidy Hasan Miraz not bowling his full quota of four overs, his contributions in just a couple of overs have been noteworthy. Their potent bowling attack poses a significant threat to the defending champions in the final, highlighting the team’s strength and depth in the bowling department.
                       Todays Match Prediction: Team Bowling first to win the match
Scenario 1
Comilla Victorians win the toss and bowl
Power Play Score 40-45
First Innings Score – 160-170
Comilla Victorians win the match
Scenario 2
Fortune Barishal win the toss and bowl
Power Play Score – 35-45
First Innings Score – 155-165
Fortune Barishal win the match
Click Here: COV vs FBA Dream11 Prediction, 
Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

FanCode, the Indian sports OTT platform, on Thursday, unveiled a partnership with Formula 1 (F1) motor racing, securing exclusive broadcast rights for the Indian market for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.  The company in a press release said that the longest-ever F1 season, consisting of 24 races starting on Thursday in Bahrain will be available to the Indian fans on FanCode across multiple devices including smart TVs, mobile phones, and tablets.
Though the company hasnt divulged the financial details for getting the streaming rights, it said that access to watch the race for the F1 lovers will be cheaper. A race pass will be available for 49, and a season pass for 899, but with an inaugural discount it will be available for 599.
Formula 1 is among the biggest sporting properties in the world, and were thrilled to partner with them to bring all the exciting action to millions of fans in India. Aside from providing F1 fans with a world-class experience, we look forward to taking the sport to a wider audience across the country,” said Yannick Colaco, co-founder of FanCode in a statement. 
The coverage of F1 races on FanCode will include all practice and qualifying sessions, F1 Sprint events and Grands Prix throughout the season and will allow the fans of the sport in India to have the flexibility to choose what they want to watch, through individual race passes or a season pass to watch all the 24 races, the company added.
This comes following F1’s decision to part ways with Disney Star last year to stream its premier motorsports event in India. The organization at that time had introduced its own streaming service, F1 TV, to cater to the region’s audience. 
For context, F1 TV had made available the event through two passes; the F1 TV Access plan, which was priced at $19.99, roughly 1,657 for one year, or the F1 TV Pro subscription which would have cost $29.99 for one year, equating to 2,487 approximately.
I am delighted to announce that fans in India will be able to watch F1 on FanCode for the next two seasons. We have found a strong broadcast partner in them with expert knowledge on how we can best serve our 60 million existing fans and reach new audiences in India. Together, we will take our combined expertise to produce premium content that showcases the sporting spectacle that is F1,” said Ian Holmes, director of media rights and content creation at Formula 1.
FanCode is further home to more than 100 million sports fans in the country as it has worked with top sporting bodies and organizations from around the globe. 
It has previously broadcast the Hockey World Cup, ICC U19 Womens T20 World Cup, Rugby World Cup, FIFA Womens World Cup, FIBA Basketball World Cup and global cricket leagues like the Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred, and Bangladesh Premier League amongst others.
Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Check all the latest action on Budget 2024 here.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
MoreLess
Topics You May Be Interested In

Lewis Hamilton has topped the second practice session at the Bahrain International Circuit, leading Mercedes teammate George Russell.
The fastest Red Bull car driven by Max Verstappen was in sixth place, just under half a second down on Hamilton’s lap.
Fernando Alonso was third fastest for Aston Martin while compatriot Carlos Sainz followed close behind in fourth.
The session was relatively trouble-free, however Stake’s Valtteri Bottas has been called to the stewards after crossing the pit lane while the red light was showing.
Check out the full results from FP2 in Bahrain below!