India romped into the final of the Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka last night.
After dismissing the Sri Lankans, who had already qualified for Wednesday's final, for 213, India cruised home in just 32.4 overs. They also got a bonus point for the quick win, which renders their game against Bangladesh today meaningless.
Dinesh Karthik, replacing Virender Sehwag for India, got the team off to a flying start, smashing Chanaka Welegedara for two consecutive boundaries in the third over and creaming three on the trot in the eight bowled by Thilan Thushara.
In between, he played some exquisite flicks through the onside off Suranga Lakmal, but fell short two short of his half-century, caught behind off Thushara.
Karthik, however, had put India firmly on the road to victory, with 86 runs coming from the first 10 overs. After that the only interest centred around whether they could reach the target inside 40 overs to get a bonus point and score some psychological points ahead of the final. And they managed it in much less.
The scoring rate did drop considerably after Karthik's departure and the boundaries dried up too. From the 11th over to the 22nd, there was not a single hit to the fence, but after the blazing start, there was no need for any impetuosity.
Gautam Gambhir benefited from two dropped catches as he made 71 from 85 deliveries, but his innings ended in a soft dismissal, when he got a leading edge while trying to turn Thissara Perera off his pads.
India still needed 63 runs at that stage and Virat Kohli, who helped add 72 for the second wicket with Gambhir, got most of them through a flurry of boundaries, making his fourth 50-plus score in five innings.
Earlier, stung by their captain MS Dhoni's criticism in the last game, the Indian bowlers came back with a vengeance to bowl out Sri Lanka in 46.1 overs.
Zaheer Khan, who was clobbered for 43 in six overs by Bangladesh, was the pick, taking three for 38 in 10 overs. At one time, Zaheer's figured read 6-2-11-2 as he sent back the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, a centurion in the last match.
Before Zaheer's two successes, Sudeep Tyagi had got Upul Tharanga edging to first slip. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, returning for his second spell, then caught Thilan Samaraweera in front of the wicket and Sri Lanka had slipped from 42-1 in 5.2 overs to 61-4 in 10.2. Two overs later, Thilina Kandamby was run out and Thissara Perera soon followed, reducing Sri Lanka to 84 for six by the 19th over.
Kumar Sangakkara and Suraj Randiv stopped the rot, adding 59 runs for the seventh wicket before the captain top-edged Yuvraj Singh to Suresh Raina.
Randiv, however, carried his team past 200, adding 59 runs more for the eighth wicket with Thushara, but the target was way short of posing any challenges to India.
A delighted Dhoni said: "This was the best fielding performance in the last 12 months."
He also had a word of praise for his batsmen saying: "Dinesh began superbly well. Virat has been very consistent."
Man of the match Zaheer said: "I just stuck to the basics. The plan with Dilshan was to put two fielders on the deep on the on-side and cramp him for room. This was a good confidence booster for me. I hope MS wins the toss in the final."
The Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara said: "I don't think we learnt much from batting first. We always looked to score runs. We tried not to get too far ahead of ourselves. We know we're far better than this."
@Email:arizvi@thenational.ae
Sri Lanka:
Upul Tharanga c Karthik b Tyagi 0
Tillakaratne Dilshan c Gambhir b Khan 33
Kumar Sangakkara c Raina b Yuvraj 68
Mahela Jayawardene c Kohli b Khan 5
Thilan Samaraweera lbw b Sreesanth 0
Thilina Kandamby run out 1
Thissara Perera c Singh b Mishra 11
Suraj Randiv b Mishra 56
Thilan Thushara c Yuvraj b Khan 28
Chanaka Welegedara st Dhoni b Mishra 1
Suranga Lakmal not out 0
Extras: (3lb, 6w, 1nb) 10
TOTAL: (all out, 46.1 overs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-42, 3-60, 4-61, 5-66, 6-84, 7-143, 8-202, 9-209.
Bowling:
Sudeep Tyagi 7-1-46-1
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth 7-0-38-1 (1w)
Zaheer Khan 10-2-38-3
Amit Mishra 9.1-1-40-3 (1nb, 3w)
Ravindra Jadeja 6-1-21-0 (1w)
Yuvraj Singh 4-0-18-1 (1w)
Suresh Raina 3-0-9-0.
India:
Dinesh Karthik c Sangakkara b Thushara 48
Gautam Gambhir c Welegedara b Perera 71
Virat Kohli not out 71
Yuvraj Singh not out 7
Extras: (4lb, 2w, 9nb) 16
TOTAL: (2 wickets, 32.3 overs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-161
Bowling:
Chanaka Welegedara 5.3-0-51-0 (2nb)
R Lakmal 10-0-75-0 (3nb, 1w)
Thilan Thushara 6-0-33-1 (1w)
Suraj Randiv 6-0-19-0
Thissara Perera 5-1-32-1
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New schools in Dubai
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
