It might be easy to think the Indian Premier League final in Dubai on Friday will all be about MS Dhoni and his bid to lead a reborn Chennai Super Kings to another title.
His role in guiding them through their playoff did, after all, prompt Virat Kohli to acclaim him as “the greatest finisher ever in the game,” saying his cameo against Delhi Capitals “made me jump out of my seat once again”.
But Dhoni will just be part of the story when Chennai meet two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Stadium.
Kolkata love UAE
The IPL first came to these shores for a 20-game chunk of the season in 2014. That campaign culminated in Kolkata winning the title.
They clearly have an affinity with the place. When the league ceased in India because of Covid midway through this season, they were second last in the table, and all out of sync.
Since it resumed in UAE, though, they have won seven games out of nine, and are in fine form heading into the final.
Sure they will be meeting one of the most formidable sides in IPL history when they get there. But Kolkata have yet to lose a final, plus they have an irrepressible new find.
Venkatesh Iyer: remember the name
No one personifies Kolkata’s uptick in form in UAE quite as starkly as Venkatesh Iyer.
The left-handed opener did not play a game in the India phase of this season. Since getting to the Emirates he has been rampant, scoring three half-centuries – one each in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
He was the only player on either side to look comfortable with the conditions in Sharjah during the final qualifier, when his 55 set the platform for the win over Delhi Capitals.
“We have found a player in Venkatesh Iyer,” David Hussey, Kolkata’s assistant coach, said.
“Not only is he a classy player but he is a wonderful person and a wonderful team man as well.”
Still the next big thing
Iyer’s emergence has slightly overshadowed the consistent excellence of his opening partner Shubman Gill.
But the 22-year-old opener has been just as reliable. He has made four scores worth 46 or better since the teams decamped to UAE.
“Everyone knows he is going to be a 10-year veteran of Test, one-day and T20 cricket for India,” Hussey said of Gill.
“It is just about how he gets there and how quickly he gets there. What he does is give the whole batting group a lot of confidence the way he goes out there.
“Seeing him strike the first ball [of the final qualifier against Delhi on Wednesday night] to the cover boundary soothed a few nerves in the dressing room and dug out.
“I for one am looking forward to seeing him grow as a person and a cricketer.”
Chennai rebuild was rapid
It is no surprise Chennai feel at home in Dubai, either. It is, after all, a city where monumental buildings are constructed in rapid time.
This time last season, Chennai were contemplating the end of a dynasty, having been the most consistent side in IPL history.
Stephen Fleming, the coach, spoke hopefully about being part of a rebuild, and warned it could take a while to construct a new side.
Take a while? Make that one season. And that, too, a season that was not hamstrung before it started by a raft of Covid cases in camp, the departure of a pillar of the side, and the delayed recovery of a young star - unlike in 2020.
Gaikwad’s greatness
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first campaign in UAE was harpooned by Covid. He struggled to recover, and looked entirely out of sorts when he did get on to the field at the end of the 2020 season.
What a difference a season makes. Back here this time, he has been a class apart.
His haul of 603 runs is just the third time a Chennai player has exceeded 600 in a season, and 24 more in the final would earn him the orange cap for the leading run-scorer of 2021.
And despite his elegance, he is also the possessor of the longest six of the season – a mammoth 108 metre effort.
Will all the success go to his head? Not likely. “I try to stay neutral,” Gaikwad said after taking the match award in the first qualifier. “I want to stay humble.”
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TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Racecard
7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m
9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
Overview
Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Company%20Profile
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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