Star Australian batsman David Warner enjoyed the perfect start as captain in the DP World International League T20 as Dubai Capitals eased past MI Emirates in Dubai on Saturday.
The Capitals were set a target of 160 at the Dubai International Stadium and did not look in trouble at any moment. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed a belligerent 81 from just 39 balls with eight boundaries and four sixes to help chase down the target with four overs and seven wickets in hand.
Jake Fraser-McGurk also played his part with a 25-ball 54 to extinguish any MI Emirates hopes after new captain Warner was dismissed early by Trent Boult (2-23).
All eyes were on Warner as he has turned his full attention to franchise cricket, having retired from Tests and ODIs. But it was Afghanistan dasher Gurbaz who set the stage alight, which is no surprise as he is one of the most impactful white-ball players in the world.
MI Emirates must have had high hopes batting first after their opener and UAE captain Muhammad Waseem continued the great form he showed in 2023 by smashing 51 from just 26 balls.
Waseem was the fourth-highest run getter in the inaugural season and also the only batsman to hit 100 maximums in international cricket last year. And he looked good for more than the four sixes he hit on Saturday.
But he fell to the wily spin of Sikandar Raza. The Zimbabwe all-rounder has become hot property in franchise cricket, with his top-class batting ability and mystery spin proving an attractive option; he recently bagged his first T20 Blast contract.
Once Waseem was dismissed, the wheels began to come off. Raza (3-21) was the pick of the bowlers as he got the dangerous Nicolas Pooran out bowled. Windies all-rounder Jason Holder was the other key contributor for the Capitals, picking up 3-36.
The match attracted a decent number of fans, most probably because of the activation at the grassroots level by the league, and also because of the presence of Bollywood star and Knight Riders franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan at the Dubai International Stadium.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
If%20you%20go
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
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
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE
