At a time when his hubris was out of control, Lalit Modi famously said the Indian Premier League was recession-proof. Like the empire builders who thought the sun would never set on them, Modi and his cohorts assumed that the IPL would be unstoppable.
There is no need for alarm bells just yet, but the viewing public are not quite in a tizzy as they were in seasons past.
ESPNCricinfo studied the television ratings for the first 26 games and found they were down 21.99 per cent on average compared to 2010. Coupled with some grounds being far from full, you have a scenario that should give Modi's successors plenty to think about.
India's World Cup win has not helped. After that euphoria, fans have struggled to lift themselves for these intercity skirmishes. The IPL cause has been hurt further by the fact that most squads are unrecognisable from those that played last season.
A Kings XI Punjab fan looking for Yuvraj Singh will now find him with the Pune Warriors. A Bangalore admirer of Rahul Dravid now has to watch his hero in Rajasthan Royals' colours. Gautam Gambhir, the quintessential Delhi cricketer, captains the Kolkata Knight Riders.
It is all very confusing and a sign that the auction culture cannot continue indefinitely. Tradition, like a great side, has to be built slowly. Having some sort of local core also enables supporters to identify with a team.
It would also help if the broadcasters emphasised the cricket rather than the celebrities trying to hitch their wagons to the game.
When your mid-match analysis consists of giggling actors, it is hard to convince people that they should take the games seriously.
sports@thenational.ae
The specs
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
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