The Indian Premier League 2024 is approaching the halfway mark, and the future is already looking bleak for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The league phase of the tournament lasts 14 matches, so there is still a long way to go. But while the other nine teams have a lot to look forward to, Bengaluru fans are already preparing for the worst after losing five of their six matches so far.
Unlike other teams in the bottom half of the IPL table, Bengaluru have had very few positives. Star batsman Virat Kohli is the leading run scorer in the tournament but the rest of the line-up looks far from threatening.
Their international middle-order of Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green has failed miserably with the bat, while bowling has always been their weak point with no strike weapons at the top or in the middle overs.
Bengaluru did try to rectify few of the glaring errors committed at the beginning of the season by bringing in in-form T20 batsman Will Jacks and domestic performers Mahipal Lomror and Vijaykumar Vyshak against Mumbai Indians. But they were easily brushed aside as Jasprit Bumrah picked up five wickets at the Wankhede before Ishan Kishan and the returning Suryakumar Yadav hit belligerent fifties while chasing 197.
What are RCB's playoff qualification chances?
The Royal Challengers have won just one out of six matches and there is not a lot of room for error. In the previous two seasons, the fourth-placed team in the points table that qualified for the playoffs had eight wins and six defeats.
In the IPL, eight wins and 16 points is seen as the mark to hit to ensure qualification to the next stage. However, when the IPL had eight teams, even six wins and eight defeats were enough to secure passage.
But even that seems a daunting task for Bengaluru, who are currently bottom of the pile. Two of their next three matches are against Sunrisers Hyderabad who are being expertly captained by Pat Cummins, while one game is against Kolkata Knight Riders, who have arguably the strongest batting line-up in the tournament.
If the Royal Challengers lose two of these three games, their IPL will be as good as over as they will then only be able to rise to 14 points at best, which is unlikely to be enough for the playoffs as they will then have to depend on other results going their way.
Bengaluru can make it to the playoffs if they win seven of their remaining eight games. But in all fairness, their season is as good as over.
Remaining fixtures for RCB
April 15: Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru (6pm UAE time)
April 21: Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata (2pm)
April 25: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Hyderabad (6pm)
April 28: Gujarat Titans v Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad (2pm)
May 4: Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru (6pm)
May 9: Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamsala (6pm)
May 12: Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru (6pm)
May 18: Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru (6pm)
Fastest deliveries of IPL 2024
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
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Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
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Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
