The Indian Premier League begins in Ahmedabad Friday and there will be no shortage of fireworks or glamour as the world's top cricketers slug it out for two months.
While cricket remains at the centre of the whole show, IPL is ultimately a visual spectacle. And the first thing that fans gravitate towards is the play, the players, and their colourful kits.
IPL franchises have strived hard to create the kind of identity that football clubs have enjoyed for decades. While the T20 league is still in its relative infancy compared to established sporting events, it is succeeding in cornering a global fan base. And the team jersey is the most important part of that effort.
Over the years, IPL teams have come out with some fabulous designs while others have been quickly forgotten. Here, we rank the jerseys of the 10 teams this IPL, starting with the best.
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB have not won the IPL, but they are beginning to get quite a few things right. They have been runners-up three times and made it to the play-offs the last three seasons, signalling that the elusive title win is just round the corner. What they have also got absolutely right is their kit, which is a striking mix of black and red.
2. Gujarat Titans
Gujarat started with a bang in IPL, winning the title in their inaugural season under swashbuckling captain Hardik Pandya. They were the standout team for a number of reasons, with their dark blue kits, which are the most clutter-free jersey in this edition, chief among them.
3. Chennai Super Kings
No colour has managed to define a franchise, a tournament and a region quite like the yellow of Chennai Super Kings. Even the seats in the stands of their MA Chidambaram Stadium are bright yellow. The roaring lion and camouflage shoulder flaps make CSK's kit the most distinct in all cricket. Even though the colour itself might not appeal to many, it has now become synonymous with Chennai, MS Dhoni and IPL.
4. Mumbai Indians
It might be another blue kit in a long list in franchise cricket, but their gold accents make Mumbai Indians' jersey one of the most sought after. They have the pedigree to go with it as well.
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
The purple jersey of Kolkata might well be one of the highlights of their season, given their struggle to find a replacement leader for the injured Shreyas Iyer. The unheralded Nitish Rana has been named skipper, signalling there is no end in sight to the recent troubles that has seen them fail to make the play-offs in three of the last four seasons.
6. Delhi Capitals
Middle of the pack kit. The usual mix of blue and red, which has not changed much over the years. They have more pressing matters at hand – namely managing without leader Rishabh Pant, who is likely to be out for a long time after his road accident.
7. Rajasthan Royals
It is quite difficult to warm to a pink kit. But it has some cultural significance – Jaipur is called the 'Pink City' due to the dominant colour scheme of its architecture. Even so, better than run-of-the mill blue jerseys in Indian cricket.
8. Punjab Kings
While Manchester United's red is an emotion in itself, Punjab haven't quite go it right with their colour scheme. What is also holding them back is a big local star who can make fans support the team and its colours fervently – like Dhoni has for Chennai and Kohli for Bangalore.
9. Lucknow Super Giants
Last year's kit was considered by many to be among the worst. This year's is hardly an upgrade either. What's worse, their team logo gets lost in the new colour scheme. The jersey looks similar to that of the Indian team from a few years back.
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Hyderabad have assembled one of the strongest teams this IPL. It's a shame they don't have a kit with similar vibrancy. A pale mix of orange and black does little to inspire.
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
The five pillars of Islam
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
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
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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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
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
