In a cricket calendar packed with international matches and T20 leagues that seem to merge with one another, one tournaments stands for its sheer size and impact – the Indian Premier League.
The T20 format was created in England in the early 2000s but truly took off in India by 2007, where a young Indian team won the first World Cup. The next year, the IPL was born and it has been a meteoric rise since.
The league's valuation has ballooned to $10 billion, with its media rights alone now worth $6bn. According to YouGov, the cumulative viewership of IPL 2022 was close to 500 million. With the IPL to be shown for free across the country this year by online rights holders Reliance Jio, that number is expected to easily cross one billion.
The two-month long tournament will begin at the biggest stadium in the world – the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad – on March 31 and conclude with a title showdown on May 28 at the same venue.
Here is everything you need to know about this year's T20 extravaganza, where Gujarat Titans will look to defend their title.
What
IPL 2023
When
The tournament begins in Ahmedabad on March 31 with a match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The final will be held at the same venue on May 28.
Where
Matches will be held in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Mohali. Some games will also be played at Guwahati (Royals' home) and Dharamsala (Kings).
What is new this season?
There are a few major changes. Firstly, teams will be back to playing on a home and away basis, after they were restricted to a few venues in western India last year due to the pandemic. Also, teams will now be allowed to announce their squads after the toss.
Also, this IPL will see the introduction of 'impact player'. Apart from the playing XI, the captain can bring in one impact player from the four nominated substitutes. The 'impact player' can bat, bowl and field any time in the match, barring a bowler who can come in only after the end of the over.
Teams
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain, wk), Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Shivam Dube, Maheesh Theekshana, Dwaine Pretorius, Ajinkya Rahane, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Shaik Rasheed, Subhranshu Senapati, Nishant Sindhu, Bhagath Varma, Tushar Deshpande, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki. Note: Kyle Jamieson injured.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tim David, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Dewald Brevis, Jofra Archer, Jason Behrendorff, Ramandeep Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Shams Mulani, Piyush Chawla, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Tristan Stubbs, Vishnu Vinod, Arshad Khan, Raghav Goyal, Duan Jansen, Akash Madhwal. Note: Jasprit Bumrah and Jhye Richardson injured
Gujarat Titans: Hardik Pandya (captain), David Miller, Shubman Gill, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, Matthew Wade, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Shivam Mavi, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Jayant Yadav, Yash Dayal, Srikar Bharat, Urvil Patel, Joshua Little, Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohit Sharma, Odean Smith
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (Captain), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, David Willey, Finn Allen, Reece Topley, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Suyash Prabhudessai, Manoj Bhandage, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Avinash Singh, Rajan Kumar, Himanshu Sharma, Karn Sharma, Sonu Yadav
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Manan Vohra, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, Ravi Bishnoi, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohsin Khan, Prerak Mankad, Karan Sharma, Kyle Mayers, Daniel Sams, Swapnil Singh, Yash Thakur, Romario Shepherd, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-Haq, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Mayank Yadav
Kolkata Knight Riders: Nitish Rana (captain), Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Litton Das, David Wiese, Mandeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Umesh Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Kulwant Khejroliya, Suyash Sharma. Note: Shreyas Iyer subject to fitness.
Delhi Capitals: David Warner (captain), Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, Mitchell Marsh, Philip Salt (wk), Yash Dhull, Manish Pandey, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Axar Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lungi Ngidi, Aman Hakim Khan, Praveen Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Chetan Sakariya, Ishant Sharma. Note: Rishabh Pant injured.
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain, wk), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Joe Root, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Holder, Trent Boult, Adam Zampa, KC Cariappa, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Abdul Basith, Donavon Ferreira, Dhruv Jurel, Murugan Ashwin, KM Asif, Akash Vasisht, Kuldip Yadav. Note: Prasidh Krishna injured.
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Shahrukh Khan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Atharva Taide, Mohit Rathee, Harpreet Brar, Baltej Singh, Shivam Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Vidhwath Kaverappa. Note: Jonny Bairstow uncertain
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Aiden Markram (captain), Harry Brook, Rahul Tripathi, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma, Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen, T Natarajan, Adil Rashid, Umran Malik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abdul Samad, Anmolpreet Singh, Nitish Reddy, Samarth Vyas, Sanvir Singh, Vivrant Sharma, Upendra Yadav, Akeal Hosein, Mayank Dagar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande
Prize money
The winning team is set to take home a cheque of 200 million rupees ($2.4 million). The runners-up will receive 125m rupees ($1.5m).
How to watch in the UAE
The IPL will be shown live on Criclife 1 on the Starzplay app in the UAE. You can also catch all the highlights on iplt20.com.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
RESULTS
ATP China Open
G Dimitrov (BUL x3) bt R Bautista Agut (ESP x5)
7-6, 4-6, 6-2
R Nadal (ESP x1) bt J Isner (USA x6)
6-4, 7-6
WTA China Open
S Halep (ROU x2) bt D Kasatkina (RUS)
6-2, 6-1
J Ostapenko (LAT x9) bt S Cirstea (ROU)
6-4, 6-4
ATP Japan Open
D Schwartzman (ARG x8) bt S Johnson (USA)
6-0, 7-5
D Goffin (BEL x4) bt R Gasquet (FRA)
7-5, 6-2
M Cilic (CRO x1) bt R Harrison (USA)
6-2, 6-0
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
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
