'Three years ago the Royals won the first ever IPL. Now look' Paul Radley Chaos returned to the Indian Premier League (IPL) last night as players, owners and sponsors began to count the cost of the expulsion of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The governing council of the IPL have terminated the franchise agreements of the two teams, each of which had been at the centre of corruption allegations against Lalit Modi, the former league commissioner.
Emirates were two seasons through a three-year deal as the title sponsors of the Chandigarh franchise, Kings XI. The Dubai-based airline last night were resigned to the fact they would no longer be involved in the lucrative Twenty20 league, although they expect the franchise's owners to appeal the decision. "While it is disappointing that it appears the Kings XI Punjab will no longer be part of the IPL, Emirates remains committed to both India and the sport of cricket," said a spokesman for the airline.
The dramas which have pockmarked the short history of the IPL have always been played out almost immediately on Twitter. Most notably, Modi, the mastermind behind the rise of the 20-over league, set in motion a chain of events which eventually led to him losing his seat of power, with one tweet about Shashi Tharoor and his involvement in the Kochi bidding process. Yesterday was no different. The main protagonists were feverish with their tweets, with captains and owners seeking answers via the social media platform.
"I am honestly too shocked to react, just disheartened because it is more than just a team for us," Shilpa Shetty, one of the co-owners of the Royals, said. Meanwhile, Shane Warne, the Royals captain and coach, asked Shetty to keep him updated on developments and said the breaking news was "shattering to all". "Three years ago the Royals won the first ever IPL, the underdogs came good - what a story - and it gave the tournament credibility," Warne said. "Now look."
Even the ousted Modi had his say. He accused his successors at the helm of the IPL of being "hell bent on destroying something we Indians are proud of" to satisfy their "personal agendas". The intimation was clear: Modi believes the governing council aims to sully his IPL legacy by expelling the franchises with which he was most closely associated. The fate of the likes of Warne is now unclear. All IPL players were scheduled to be re-auctioned next month, but that has been knocked back until January.
With the new Kochi franchise also being investigated, and possibly set to suffer the same fate as Kings XI and Rajasthan, there could be as few as seven of the 10 franchises left. As such, IPL 4 would almost certainly be a non-starter.
pradley@thenational.ae
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Background: Chemical Weapons
