An India-Pakistan match is arguably the most high-pressure game in all sport. But there were very few signs of tension as players from both teams trained together in Pallekele on Friday on the eve of their Asia Cup clash.
Babar Azam's team are the in-form side, having recently climbed to the No 1 position in ODIs and with very few selection headaches. India, on the other hand, are still not sure about their playing XI for 50-over cricket and also the match-fitness of players returning from injury.
Saturday's match (1.30pm UAE time) is not only the first 50-over match between the neighbours since the 2019 World Cup, it is also the start of the countdown to the ODI World Cup in October-November, with hardly any room for experimentation or failure for both sides.
Star India batsman Virat Kohli was the centre of attention as he mingled with Pakistan players during the evening training session, sharing a laugh with Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan and fast bowler Haris Rauf.
Kohli had left an indelible mark on the minds of cricket fans during the previous clash between the teams during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne where he played one of the all-time great innings to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat. His successive sixes off Rauf in the penultimate over of the chase that set up an improbable victory are widely considered some of the best shots in modern T20 cricket.
On Friday, as the players interacted, Rauf joked with Kohli that wherever he goes, people shout Kohli's name, possibly as a reminder of those two sixes.
Captains Rohit Sharma and Azam also had a brief chat during training ahead of what should the first of many clashes between the rivals over the next three months.
The rivalry between the sides was not the only talking point on the eve of the match. The weather in Kandy, where the match is being held, has also come into focus with rain expected to impact the game at some point.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
RESULT
Kolkata Knight Riders 169-7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals 144-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata win by 25 runs
Next match
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 5.30pm
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
