Continuity and unwavering belief in each player's ability the hallmark of both side's crowning achievement.
As the Indian Premier League season came to a close on Saturday, one of the tournament's chief architects, the former commissioner, but now outlaw, Lalit Modi, was at the other big game of the night.
"Atmosphere absolutely electric at the Wembley stadium. No comparison to the earlier game today," Modi tweeted from the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in north London.
Comparisons are odious, but nothing can keep Modi from tweeting, not even the troubles that have led him to refuse to return from England to answer charges of irregularities in the IPL.
Leaving the judgements on atmosphere aside, there was an undeniable similarity in the plays on those two distant pitches.
Like Barcelona later in the night, Chennai Super Kings ruthlessly dominated their game and outclassed their opponents.
Had Ravichandran Ashwin known of Manchester United's fate at Wembley, he would have probably rephrased his post-match quotes, the one about being the "Man United of IPL". After two consecutive titles, Chennai are emerging as the Barcelona of the lucrative Twenty20 league.
They might not be as dominant as the Catalans, having lost five of their 14 games during the league stages. But when it comes to the big games, they turn indomitable, gaining strength from the belief in each other and finding inspiration from a captain who trusts them wholeheartedly.
MS Dhoni has often been described as a Destiny's Child, but it is not mere fortune that has seen "Captain Cool" win the World Twenty20 (2007) and the 50-over World Cup for his country, or the Champions League T20 and back-to-back IPL titles for his franchise.
It is the trust he shows in his players and it was obvious at the auctions earlier in the year. Chennai retained four of their players - Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and Albie Morkel - and bought back most of the others from previous seasons.
That continuity was maintained throughout the tournament with Chennai fielding an unchanged squad for the last six games, the longest such streak in the IPL's four-year history. Through their 16 matches this year, Super Kings used just 17 players. Only the Mumbai Indians matched that figure as teams such as Pune and Delhi used 25 and 22 players, respectively, and finished at the bottom of the league table.
"Chennai have been the only team that really targeted getting the players that they had back," Adam Gilchrist, the Kings XI Punjab captain, said before the start of the tournament. "That could prove to be a very shrewd move on their behalf."
It did indeed. While the rest of the teams struggled to find their best combinations, Chennai knew what to expect from every player and had a man for every occasion.
They were not dependent on individual brilliance such as the Royal Challengers Bangalore with Chris Gayle, Mumbai Indians with Lasith Malinga and Sachin Tendulkar, or the Delhi Daredevils with Virender Sehwag.
Chennai's top run-getter was Michael Hussey, whose 492 was fifth best in the league.
But they had two more - Suresh Raina (438) and Murali Vijay (434) - in the top 10.
In fact, Chennai had five batsmen among the 14 in the league who scored 390 runs or more.
On the bowling front, R Ashwin (20) and Doug Bollinger (17) represented the Super Kings in the top six wicket-takers.
So, as Dhoni pointed out, it was a consummate team effort, elevated through their collective intensity.
"What is important, being in the final, you don't want to get desperate to win it," Dhoni said after the triumph. "But what you want is to show intent … that you are there to win it.
"That's what we did."
The Royal Challengers lacked that intensity right through the game.
They had the league's top two on the batting list in Gayle and Virat Kohli, and the IPL's third-highest wicket-taker of the season in Sreenath Aravind, but in reality they were just a one-man team.
Before Gayle's arrival, Bangalore had just one win from five games.
They lost only three games after the Jamaican joined the team and Gayle had flopped in all of them.
Even in the final, the fat lady was clearing her throat as soon as he was dismissed for nought off the fourth ball of the innings.
The Chennai Super Kings knew the fate of the match had been sealed.
And the fans knew it and, unfortunately, the Royal Challengers knew it as well.
One can only surmise about Bangalore's fate had Dirk Nannes not been injured.
There would have been no 3am SOS to Gayle and the fans would have been denied one of the most cavalier batting performances of recent memory.
"Things happen sometime," Gayle said.
"You don't even realise how much they can change and impact on someone's life."
Paul Valthaty and Iqbal Abdulla were echoing those sentiments on Saturday night.
Valthaty emerged from obscurity to win the prize for the best individual performance of the tournament. Abdulla, who arrived in Mumbai with his family eight years ago from the small town of Azamgarh to pursue his cricketing dreams, grabbed the rising star award.
Their stories added to the atmosphere at Chepauk. At Wembley, Lionel Messi and Co dazzled the world, but it was nothing unexpected.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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.
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
FIXTURES
All games 6pm UAE on Sunday:
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa
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
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
India cancels school-leaving examinations
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The five pillars of Islam
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Company%20profile%20
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Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km