News Analysis India

Tag: UAE

  • IPL 2021: Defending champions Mumbai Indians leave for UAE

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians on Friday left the country’s shores for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 which resumes in September in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Mumbai Indians shared a picture on Twitter in which Talent Scout Vinay Kumar can be seen travelling on the flight to UAE.

    The Mumbai Indians unit had been training at their ground in Ghansoli, the Reliance Corporate Park.

    As per sources, the MI domestic players had been training for the last two weeks after undergoing quarantine. The members, currently part of the set-up, have also been undergoing regular COVID-19 tests to ensure everyone is risk-free.

    Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that only Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to re-book the hotels they used during the 2020 edition of the IPL. All the other six franchises will stay at new hotels.

    The BCCI SOP had called for teams to preferably book smaller hotel properties so that they could be fully booked for exclusive use by the participants within the Bio-Secure Environments.

    The SOP further stated that if a larger hotel is chosen, then the participants will be accommodated in a separate wing of the hotel.

    No other hotel guests will be allowed in the team zones/floors. Dedicated floors/zones will be allotted to each franchise team, match officials and match management teams to avoid mixing of the various groups within the hotel premises.

    The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

    The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

    Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

  • UAE played peace broker between India and Pakistan, claims report

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The India-Pakistan joint statement reiterating their commitment to respecting the 2003 ceasefire came after peace was brokered by the UAE, a Bloomberg report has revealed. The report, citing a February 26 readout of UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed’s visit to India where he met EAM S Jaishankar, said it gave clues on what was discussed.

    Quoting unnamed officials, the report said reiterating the commitment to the 2003 ceasefire along the LoC was only the beginning of a “larger roadmap to forge lasting peace between the neighbours, both of which have nuclear weapons and spar regularly over a territory dispute”.

    Indian, Pakistani and UAE foreign ministries are yet to comment on the West Asian country’s role in brokering peace. Interestingly, after US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin’s recent visit to India, sources had also mentioned West Asia. “Conversation also covered changing global scenario, including Europe and West Asia,” a source had said.

    The Bloomberg report claimed the next step in the peace process between India and Pakistan would be reinstatement of envoys in New Delhi and Islamabad.  Pakistan has also lately adopted a changed stance with both PM Imran Khan and Army chief General Qamar Bajwa talking of dialogue.   

    Experts say geopolitical conditions have forced both India and Pakistan to make the joint announcement. “While India needs to concentrate on the LAC despite the disengagement, Pakistan’s economic conditions are prompting them to extend an olive branch,” a former diplomat said. A UK-based research scholar echoed the views saying given its economic status, Pakistan wants to mend ties while New Delhi would like to use its military resources at the LAC.

    EAM Jaishankar meets Afghan counterpartExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Monday held talks with focus on the peace process in Afghanistan, and boosting cooperation in areas of security, connectivity and trade.

  • Commercial international flights will not run until November 30

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has extended the suspension of flight for international trips to 30 November due to the Corona virus epidemic on Wednesday. The Indian aviation regulator said, international flights may be allowed on select routes by the competent authority. 

    International flights to India were completely shut down from March 23 due to the corona virus epidemic, but international flights have been operating under bilateral flight arrangements with select countries since July under the Vanda India Mission since May.

    India has entered into air agreements with about 18 countries including the US, UK, UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air treaty between two countries, special international flights can be operated between their regions by their airlines.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also mentioned that the suspension extended will not affect international cargo operations and special flights. Domestic flights resumed in India on May 25 after a gap of two months between the epidemic conditions.

  • He will be flying back,’ CEO says CSK player will play no further part in Indian Premier League 2020

    Things haven’t gone to plan for Chennai Super Kings this season. They were big favourites ahead of Indian Premier League season 13. They were in the limelight as fans were excited to witness MS Dhoni back in action after more than a year. He also had announced his retirement from international cricket ahead of the tournament.However, things started on the wrong foot for the three-time champions. Several players and staff members were found to be Covid-19 positive during testing. Then star batsman Suresh Raina and experienced spinner Harbhajan Singh left UAE for India due to personal reasons. They won the first match against Mumbai Indians but things have been bumpy since then. CSK now sit in the last position in the IPL 2020 points table with only 3 wins from 10 matches. He is arguably one of the greatest cricketing brains to ever play the game. He can see things and assess situations which other players can’t and you can see, as the tournament progress, his forms getting better as well,” he added.