IPL final: Weather forecast for Ahmedabad as Gujarat Titans take on Chennai Super Kings

The 2023 Indian Premier League final between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings was moved to Monday's reserve day after heavy rain prevented any play in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The rain stopped briefly at around 9pm local time Sunday and ground staff even took the covers off from the pitch and the square but soon rain came down heavily again.

Persistent rain left plenty of big puddles on the outfield of the more than 100,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium before umpires finally called the final off for the day at 10.52pm after consulting ground staff and the match referee.

Weather forecast

The weather forecast for Ahmedabad on Monday looks more encouraging than Sunday.

According to www.accuweather.com, there is a chance of thunderstorms in parts in the early afternoon with a 40 per cent chance of rain. The forecast for the match, which kicks off at 7.30pm local time (6pm UAE) is partly cloudy with only a 3 per cent of precipitation and a temperature of 32 degrees.

Who is playing?

Chennai, led by veteran MS Dohni, will be playing a record 10th IPL final and looking for a record-equaling fifth title.

Gujarat, skippered by Hardik Pandya, thumped five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the knockout game to book a place in its second successive IPL final.

What happens if there is another washout?

According to the IPL playing conditions, in case of more rain on the reserve day, both teams will play a five-overs-a-side match to determine the winners. In case even that is no possible, then a super over clash will decide the champions. In the event of a complete washout on Monday, the team that finished top of the table during the league phase will be declared winners - which in this case is Gujarat Titans.

Who to watch out for

Gujarat batsman Shubman Gill has scored 851 runs from 16 games that includes three centuries in the last four matches including a match-winning 129 in Friday's win against Mumbai Indians in the final eliminator.

On Monday, Gill could become only the second batter in the history of the IPL to reach 900 runs in a season. Virat Kohli holds the record of most runs in an IPL season with 973 in 2016.

Gujarat seamer Mohammed Shami is the leading wicket-taker in this edition of the IPL with 28 wickets.

Chennai will look to Devon Conway to add to his 625 runs, which places him joint-fourth on the top run scorers' list, while Tushar Deshpande and Ravindra Jadeja have taken 40 wickets between them.

Retirements

For Chennai, most of the talk ahead of the final focused on whether legendary former India captain Dhoni would retire after the match.

But he was beaten to the punch by teammate Ambati Rayudu, who took to social media handle to announce his retirement just hours before Sunday's match.

Leaderboard

64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)

65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)

66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)

67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)

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October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)

October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)

November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)

November 28-30: Dubai International Rally

January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)

March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)

April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)

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Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

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Tamkeen's offering

Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years

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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