Virat Kohli says he has "never felt so calm" going into an Indian Premier League season as the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper chases an elusive title in the Twenty20 tournament.
Bangalore's best finish under Kohli was as losing finalists in the 2016 edition, and finished bottom of the eight-team table last year.
Kohli says he expects a big turnaround from a team containing big names such as South Africa's explosive AB de Villiers and Australia's big-hitting white ball skipper Aaron Finch when the tournament gets under way in the UAE on September 19.
"I never felt so calm going into a season before," Kohli said during an interview posted on his side's YouTube channel on Monday.
"He [De Villiers] is coming from a very different space and he is enjoying his life and is very relaxed and fit as ever. I feel I am in a much better space, much more balanced, when it comes to environment of IPL.
"Aaron Finch is someone who has experience of playing international cricket."
With the tournament first postponed and then moved to the Emirates due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in India, Kohli believes his side will be disconnected "with things that have happened in the past and not taking that baggage, as we have done that way too many times.
"Just because we have a bunch of players that are so skilled ... people have had so much expectation," he admitted.
Bangalore also boast overseas talent including South African pace bowler Chris Morris and Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Philippe.
"Morris brings in a lot of balance," said Kohli. "Some of the youngsters we have picked this time are quite exciting too like Josh Philippe, a very exciting player."
The IPL will be played across three venues – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah – and Kohli feels that will lead to consistent playing conditions across the tournament.
"It [the usual home and away system in India] gets hectic, conditions change ... This time, it's more of a level playing field and everything would now boil down to skill level rather than home advantage," he said.
"We have unpacked all bags and stacked clothes in the wardrobe. We go, practise, live in our own bio-bubble ... It's a more settled and calm feeling."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
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The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
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Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
The view from The National
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
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Mushrif Park
Safa Park
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Al Qudrah Lakes
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How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
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2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
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• For more information visit the library network's website.
