The results may have gone up and down for Mumbai Indians but one aspect of their cricket that has never faltered is the consistency of their talent scouts.
The five-time IPL champions have one of the most well-established talent spotting programmes in the tournament and their latest find - left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar - underscored the robustness of that system on Monday.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a dream debut at Mumbai's home ground, Wankhede Stadium, by picking up four wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders to hand his team the first win of the season.
On an unusually helpful pitch for fast bowlers, Ashwani tore through the Kolkata line-up, picking up 4-24 through pace and late swing.
Defending champions Kolkata had been rocked early by new-ball bowlers Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar before they were knocked out by Ashwani, who accounted for captain Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey and the dangerous Andre Russell.
The wickets of Pandey and Russell were particularly impressive as Ashwani beat the experienced batters with pace and swing to hit the stumps.
The young pacer only bowled three overs as Kolkata folded for 116 in 16.2 overs. Mumbai chased down the target with more than seven overs to spare.
It was a dream debut for the fast bowler from Punjab, who revealed he was so nervous before the game that he did not even have a proper lunch.
"I didn't have anything for lunch, I just had a banana. There was a little pressure. I wasn't feeling hungry," said Ashwani. "But still, I played well, so it's good.
"Hardik Pandya said that since it's your debut match, enjoy yourself. Just keep bowling the way you have been," he added.
Captain Hardik gave full credit to the bowler and Mumbai's extensive talent scouting network.
"We thought Ashwani can come in on this pitch and bowl the way he bowled. It is all the scouts - they picked him," said Hardik.
"They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action and he was a leftie."
The captain would know a thing or two about Mumbai's eye for talent. After all he, along with his brother Krunal, were picked by Mumbai scouts back in 2014.
A year before that, former India coach and Mumbai's foremost talent spotter John Wright had stumbled upon an unusual fast bowler during a domestic match in Ahmedabad before the IPL auction and quickly snapped him up. Jasprit Bumrah went on to become the biggest success story of Mumbai's vision and also the foremost fast bowler in the world.
Even left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was earmarked by Mumbai Indians in 2012, although he developed his career elsewhere.
This year, Mumbai had already given a glimpse of the their talent supply chain when they gave the ball to Kerala left-arm spinner Vignesh Puthur against Chennai Super Kings.
Puthur almost turned the match around in his very first outing, picking up three wickets with his deceptive wrist spin at Chepauk. The fact that the 24-year-old had not even represented his state showed how diligent Mumbai are in their work.
Ashwani, on the other hand, had already represented Punjab at domestic level and was on the radar of other franchises like Punjab and Chennai. But it was Mumbai who picked him up at base price in the auction.
It's one thing to pick young talent. To field them straightaway takes conviction. Mumbai have done that consistently this season as well, also backing wicketkeeper batsman Robin Minz - the first cricketer from India's tribal community in IPL.
Other teams also have promising local players on their bench but no one comes even close to Mumbai when it comes to spotting and then backing young talent.
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The view from The National
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
