The Indian Premier League has reached the halfway mark and already a gap has emerged between the most competitive teams and those whose campaign seems as good as over.
All 10 teams have played at least seven matches each, with a similar number of games remaining for all sides.
The top four teams at the end of the league phase will qualify for the IPL playoffs.
Below we take a look at where the teams stand with half the tournament remaining. Data up to Saturday's match between Rajasthan and Lucknow.
Table toppers
The top three sides in the table – Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans – are also the best teams in the tournament so far. Delhi and Punjab have not won the IPL so far but are transformed this time, led by inspiring captains Axar Patel (Delhi) and Shreyas Iyer (Punjab) and boasting the two most balanced sides in the tournament.
The three teams are on 10 points each, alongside Lucknow Super Giants who eked out a stunning two-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. Gujarat also recorded a win on Saturday over Delhi to top the table.
All four teams – Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab and Lucknow – need eight wins and 16 points to be all but guaranteed of a place in the playoffs. However last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru squeezed past Chennai Super Kings and into the playoffs while on 14 points but with a better net run rate.
Still, just three more wins in the next seven games should be enough for qualification for Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab. Lucknow too have a similar target but have one less game in hand.
Mid-table battle
This is where the battle is intense, as always. The middle of the table has sides who are either gaining or losing momentum.
Mumbai Indians had a terrible start to the season, as is almost always the case, but have won two in a row to get some belief back into the camp. They are still precariously placed with three wins and four defeats, but have a seriously good squad to make a genuine push for the playoffs. Mumbai need to win five of their remaining seven matches to be in contention.
Defending champions Kolkata looked good for the most part this season, but a shocking defeat while chasing just 112 against Punjab, getting bowled out for 95, could prove to be a body blow to their campaign. They too have three wins and four defeats to their name and should have been in the top half of the table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are just outside the top four with four wins and three defeats. However, they just can't seem to win at home and with such a poor record in their backyard, getting four more wins might not be so easy.
Staying alive
This season, the teams propping up the league table are the most shocking ones. Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have just two wins and five defeats so far in the tournament, although Chennai have arguably been the worst team so far.
The Super Kings have two of the top eight wicket takers this season but their batting has been shockingly conservative, weakened further by the injury to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Chennai, now led by MS Dhoni, must win six of their last seven matches to qualify. Two more defeats and Chennai will be out. Hyderabad are in similar position, and they have been a plagued by one-dimensional batting that either scores 240 or goes nowhere. Two more defeats and Hyderabad's season will be as good as over.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, are one step away from early elimination. Their shock loss to Lucknow on Saturday was their sixth of the season from eight games, and second in succession from a winning position, and the Royals should theoretically be out of contention with one more loss. And this despite having a red-hot Jofra Archer leading their bowling and a strong Indian batting line-up.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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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
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Lexus LX700h specs
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Ultra processed foods
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- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
