The Indian Premier League returns on Saturday, March 26, and this time with a healthy mix of the old and new.
The glitzy T20 league is back in India, even if limited to a handful of venues, and will be played in its traditional slot at the start of the summer.
Two franchises have been added to the roster, taking the number of teams to 10 and group stage matches to 70. All games will be played in a cluster of venues in western India.
The Wankhede Stadium, DY Patil Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai will host a chunk of the league phase matches, while the MCA Stadium in Pune will stage 15 matches. That means travelling and quarantines will not be a major issue and any virus outbreaks should be contained more effectively.
This year marks the beginning of a new era in IPL with Virat Kohli playing just as a batsman for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The star India batsman no longer holds the captaincy and fans will be hoping that with that burden removed, Kohli will be able to bat with freedom.
Other players made significant moves as well. The mega auction earlier in the year saw some incredible sums of money offered for the top stars. A total of 50 players will feature in IPL 2022 with million-dollar contracts, another reminder that franchise cricket is the engine that runs the game, whether purists like it or not.
When does IPL 2022 start?
The first match of this season will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, March 26. The match will begin at 6pm, UAE time. The tournament finishes on May 29.
How to watch matches in the UAE?
Fans can watch IPL matches on TV in the UAE on beIN Sports.
Players to watch
Rajvardhan Hangargekar (Chennai Super Kings). The next big star of Indian cricket. The U19 World Cup hero is a hard-hitting batsman and a proper new-ball fast bowler. The sky is the limit for Hangargekar, and his progress will be closely monitored by one of the greatest captains of all time - MS Dhoni.
Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore). There is no pressure of captaincy and no despondency over lack of trophies any more. Kohli can now focus on his batting and his performance in the IPL will show whether the fire in him burns just as bright, or whether the spark is beginning to fade.
Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders). Has emerged as a gun white-ball hitter anywhere in the batting order and a reliable seam bowler who can be developed into a proper all-rounder. Being a left-handed bat makes him an exciting prospect.
Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans). The India all-rounder has to prove it all. Has been unfit for a long time and there is no guarantee that he can be effective with both bat and ball over many months. His IPL and even India career could depend on the workload he carries this season.
Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings): The England all-rounder is the perfect T20 package - attacking wrist spinner, devastating batsman and a brilliant fielder. There is nothing he can't do on a cricket field and is certain to be a highly sought-after player for years to come.
Umran Malik (Sunrisers Hyderabad). The fastest Indian bowler in 20-over cricket made headlines last season when he was clocked at 95 miles per hour. If he maintains his level this season, is almost certain to be selected for the T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year.
Tim David (Mumbai Indians): One of the hardest hitters on the T20 circuit, David is now an IPL millionaire. Mumbai are looking to team him up with Kieron Pollard, potentially forming one of the most destructive partnerships in the game.
Rovman Powell (Delhi Capitals): The West Indies batsman gave ample evidence of his big hitting during the limited-overs series in India earlier in the year. Rishabh Pant said he was smiling when Powell was smashing India's bowlers, knowing well that he will be doing the same in IPL.
Jason Holder (Lucknow Super Giants): The West Indies all-rounder is one of the most valuable, yet under appreciated all-formats players on the world. Is always in the contest with bat and ball, and has a ton of international experience.
Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals): This could be the year of Samson. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman has received the complete backing of the Indian team and since he is also the leader of his franchise, will be looking to take his game to the next level. The best power hitter in Indian cricket.
Squads
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Subhranshu Senapati, Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, Mukesh Choudhary, Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Simranjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Mitchell Santner, Bhagath Varma
Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya (captain), David Miller, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Sai Sudarshan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade, Abhinav Sadarangani, Dominic Drakes, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan, Varun Aaron, Darshan Nalkande, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Alzarri Joseph, Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (captain), Manan Vohra, Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Jason Holder, Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Karan Sharma, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ayush Badoni
Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (captain), Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mandeep Singh, Rovman Powell, Tim Seifert, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Ashwin Hebbar, Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat, Yash Dhull, Anrich Nortje, Shardul Thakur, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Axar Patel, Mustafizur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya, Praveen Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vicky Ostwal
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Aaron Finch, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Sam Billings, Chamika Karunaratne, Pat Cummins, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Nabi, Rinku Singh, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Sheldon Jackson, Baba Indrajith, Varun Chakravarty, Rasikh Dar, Ashok Sharma, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Anukul Roy
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tim David, Kieron Pollard, Tilak Varma, Anmolpreet Singh, Dewald Brevis, Ramandeep Singh, Rahul Buddhi, Aryan Juyal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Arshad Khan, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer (unavailable), Tymal Mills, Riley Meredith, Murugan Ashwin, Basil Thampi, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Sanjay Yadav, Daniel Sams, Fabian Allen
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Rassie van der Dussen, Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Jos Buttler, James Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Garhwal, Kuldip Yadav, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Obed McCoy, Tejas Baroka, KC Kariappa, Anunay Singh
Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal (captain), Prerak Mankad, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jonny Bairstow, Shahrukh Khan, Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Writtick Chatterjee, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Bawa, Nathan Ellis, Vaibhav Arora, Ishan Porel, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Benny Howell, Baltej Singh, Ansh Patel, Atharva Taide
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (captain), Virat Kohli, Suyash Prabhudessai, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Finn Allen, Luvnith Sisodia, Josh Hazlewood, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Wanindu Hasaranga, Karn Sharma, Jason Behrendorff, Siddarth Kaul, Chama Milind, Akash Deep, David Willey, Mahipal Lomror, Sherfane Rutherford, Aneeshwar Gautam, Shahbaz Ahmed,
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Shashank Singh, Romario Shepherd, Ravikumar Samarth, Rahul Tripathi, Priyam Garg, Glenn Phillips, Vishnu Vinod, Washington Sundar, Umran Malik, Saurabh Dubey, Fazal Farooqi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abdul Samad, Marco Jansen, Sean Abbott, Abhishek Sharma
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
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.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
