Ahead of the start to the 2015 Indian Premier League season, writers and editors from The National Sports section offer up their picks for who will win IPL 8. To make things interesting, they have also picked a top wicket-taker and run-scorer, with the stipulation that picks can't overlap.
Thomas Woods, Deputy Sports Editor
Who will win: Chennai Super Kings
They have the most explosive opening pair in Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith – who can easily take a game away from their opponents – while MS Dhoni is T20’s ultimate finisher.
Top run scorer: Aaron Finch, Mumbai Indians
A change of team this season for Finch. The opener is one of those who can explode once he gets a start. Will ride his luck in the opening overs but should score plenty.
Top wicket taker: Mitchell Johnson, Kings XI Punjab
Was overshadowed at the World Cup by Australia teammate Mitchell Starc, but can bounce back in IPL 2015.
Paul Radley, Reporter
Who will win: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Ridiculous batting talent, and the best limited overs bowler in the game at present, in the form of Mitchell Starc. No more underachieving for RCB.
Top run scorer: AB de Villiers, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Or Neo, as Dale Steyn, his South Africa teammate prefers to call him, in reference to the character of the same name with the superpowers in The Matrix.
Top wicket taker: Sunil Narine, Kolkata Knight Riders
Intriguing to see whether he has been handicapped by being reported for a suspect action. He has been cleared to bowl, and was as good as unplayable before.
Ahmed Rizvi, Reporter
Who will win: Royal Challengers Bangalore
With the likes of AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli on the batting side, and Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott leading their attack, RCB look the most balanced of the eight teams
Top run scorer: Glenn Maxwell, Kings XI Punjab
The Australian has never looked short of confidence, but with a World Cup medal among his collection, the “Big Show” could really step it up this season and leave the rest of the willow-wielders in his shade.
Top wicket taker: Ravichandran Ashwin, Chennai Super Kings
Impressive on batting-friendly wickets in the World Cup, the India off-spinner will be looking forward to bowling on pitches, which suit his art a bit more. He is also likely to feature regularly in the Chennai XI and that improves his chances of bagging the Purple Cap.
Osman Samiuddin, Reporter
Who will win: Kings XI Punjab
They were, until the last game of last season, the best side in the league. Led astutely by George Bailey and coach Sanjay Bangar, they look a good bet to go one step further this time. Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Bailey, Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay is an awesome batting line. And Mitchell Johnson, Axar Patel and Sandeep Sharma is not a bad attack.
Top run scorer: Brendon McCullum, Chennai Super Kings
McCullum has been playing Twenty20 cricket for over a year now, whatever format he has actually been playing in. Against weaker attacks, on flatter surfaces, he will go ballistic.
Top wicket taker: Umesh Yadav, Delhi Daredevils
Mitchell Starc will miss part of the season and Imran Tahir is a good shot at this, but Yadav could well finish top. He had a good world cup and though he can be expensive, he will almost always get wickets.
Kumar Shyam, Production Editor
Who will win: Mumbai Indians
They have the right balance of stability, players out to prove a point after a half-decent World Cup each, addition of Aaron Finch and a stellar think-tank to steer the fortunes.
Top run scorer: Yuvraj Singh, Delhi Daredevils
He knows how to repay faith. He promised the World Cup to Sachin Tendulkar in 2011, and delivered. Delhi is next to please after they made him the richest player even as Indian selectors ignored him.
Top wicket taker: Josh Hazlewood, Mumbai Indians
Usual strategy in Mumbai’s attack. Lasith Malinga softens batsmen up and other bowlers benefit as long as they bowl a good line. Step up, Hoff – Left-arm fast bowler, young, calm under pressure and not short of motivation.
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil, Production Editor
Who will win: Chennai Super Kings
They have a solid batting line-up that includes the in-form Brendon McCullum and the ever-dependable MS Dhoni. They also have top-draw all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Irfan Pathan and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Top run scorer: Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians captain has been in excellent hitting form in recent times. All he needs is consistency at the top of the order, and he will score big. Captaincy will inspire him, too.
Top wicket taker: Irfan Pathan, Chennai Super Kings
Back from injury and in good form in the Ranji Trophy circuit, a rejuvenated Pathan could be the wicket-taking option Chennai are looking for.
Jon Turner, Web Editor
Who will win: Royal Challengers Bangalore
The best batting line-up in the league is finally supported by a fearsome bowling unit. Mitchell Starc could and should be the difference to the serial under-achievers.
Top run scorer: Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore
If one player encapsulates the party atmosphere and fireworks of the IPL it’s Chris Gayle. While perhaps not the tour de force he once was, Gayle’s monster-hitting still has the ability to turn a match on its head.
Top wicket taker: Imran Tahir, Delhi Daredevils
On the back of a fine World Cup, Tahir has the ability to take wickets by the bucketload. The Indian conditions should suit his leg-break style.
Jonathan Raymond, Web Editor
Who will win: Kings XI Punjab
No need to get cute. KXIP had the second-most dominant group stage by net run rate in the seven editions of the IPL last year, and they bring back pretty much the same squad this year. That’s no guarantee, of course, but it’s highly likely they’ll be in the mix.
Top run scorer: Steven Smith, Rajasthan Royals
His career IPL average of 39.29 is just shy of the range of what can reliably provide a top total given the matches, which he hasn’t had since 2012 – but, the Australians are available for the full tournament this time and his impressive World Cup form suggests he has that little extra in him.
Top bowler: Vinay Kumar, Mumabi Indians
Maybe a reach, but consider this: He was the only bowler to finish top-five in wickets in the IPL in 2012 and 2013 before falling out of favour last year at Kolkata. Now he’s at Mumbai, where he’ll get to work with Shane Bond and he comes off a Ranji Trophy-winning run with Karnataka where he was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series. Call it a hunch.
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett
British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
