India captain Rohit Sharma lifts the T20 World Cup trophy after a seven-run win over South Africa in the final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday, June 29, 2024. Getty Images
India's Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma celebrate with the T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados. AFP
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the player of the tournament. Reuters
India captain Rohit Sharma celebrates after winning the T20 World Cup final against South Africa by seven runs at the Kensington Oval. Getty Images
Hardik Pandya starred with the ball for India, picking up three wickets in a tense victory. Getty Images
South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen smashed 52 from 27 balls and took his team close to victory. AFP
Hardik Pandya celebrates with Virat Kohli after dismissing David Miller. Getty Images
Virat Kohli held India's inning together with a timely knock of 76. AP
Virat Kohli made 76 from 59 balls to help India reach 176-7. Getty Images
Shivam Dube gave good support to Kohli, hitting 27 from 16 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. AFP
Anrich Nortje of South Africa celebrates after dismissing Shivam Dube. Getty Images
Axar Patel rescued India's innings with 47 from 31 balls. AFP
Quinton de Kock celebrates with teammates after running Axar Patel out. Getty Images
South Africa's Keshav Maharaj dismissed India captain Rohit Sharma in his first over. AFP
South Africa's Keshav Maharaj got Rishabh Pant out for a duck. AFP
Ian Bishop went early. You could tell he wanted people to remember the phrase.
“Is this the day the Rainbow Nation find the pot of gold at the end?” he asked on commentary.
It was still only the 15th over. Maybe it was because it was his last over before he made way for commentators from the two competing teams, as is custom, to oversee the winning moment.
But the end felt nigh. It was raining sixes at the time. Heinrich Klaasen had just savaged Axar Patel, one of India’s players of the tournament, taking him for 24 off the over.
It was all over. South Africa were heading for their first major title in senior men’s cricket.
All they needed was a run a ball from the last five overs, with six wickets left and Klaasen and David Miller at the crease. They even got through another box-office Jasprit Bumrah over intact.
First, Klaasen chased a wide one from Hardik Pandya that caught the edge and Rishabh Pant caught him at the wicket.
Bumrah then embossed his status as surely T20 international cricket’s greatest fast bowler with an extraordinary 18th over that went for just two and brought the wicket of Marco Jansen.
Arshdeep Singh reinforced the momentum swing with a thrifty 19th over.
All of which meant South Africa now needed 16 off the last six balls. The tension was asphyxiating. The drama had been unbearable. And it still had not reached its crescendo yet.
Miller was on strike to face Pandya. He had been there before, at least in T20 cricket, and had got the job done from similar positions umpteen times.
Pandya’s delivery was in the arc. Miller tried to put it out the park. Then Suryakumar Yadav, known to so many as SKY, running around the boundary from long off, pulled off a catch for the ages.
Speeding around the edge, he held the catch, jumped over the boundary sponge, released the ball as he was doing so, gathered himself, and jumped back inside the rope to complete the catch.
Yes, it’s been done before. But with the stakes this high? Never before had anyone seen anything like it.
“That is the best piece of fielding I’ve ever seen in a game of cricket,” Ian Smith said on commentary of SKY’s effort, before labelling it “one of the great catches in cricket history.”
It was the moment that decided it once and for all. Pandya closed out the remainder, and India were winners of the T20 World Cup for the second time, shading an all-time classic by seven runs.
All over field India’s players fell to the grass. Pandya was in tears when victory was sealed, and had to wipe them away while speaking in his flash interview straight after.
As if there was not enough emotion flying around, Virat Kohli then decided this was the moment to confirm an “open secret” that he was retiring from T20 internationals.
He did so while accepting his award as player of the match for the final. The opener had shaken off a tournament of struggle by posting the highest score of the game.
It was not classic Kohli, but it was decisive, helping India quell an early wobble when they lost three quick wickets.
“This was my last T20 World Cup, and this was exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli said.
“This was an amazing game. I was telling Rohit [Sharma] when we went out to bat that some days you don’t feel like you can score a run, and you come out and things happen.
“God is great. I hold my head in gratitude and I am just grateful I could get the job done on the day that it mattered the most.”
Kohli signed off his career with 76 from 59 balls, and said it had been “now or never” after the start India had had.
“I knew it was my last T20 game for India in the last T20 World Cup I was going to play. I wanted to make the most of it, and this was our aim.
“We wanted to win an ICC tournament, and it was the occasion which helped me put my head down and respect the situation, and play the game my team needed me to play.
“This was an open secret. It was not something I wasn’t going to announce, even if we had lost. It is time for the next generation to step up and take India forward.”
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0 De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
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Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally • Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered • Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity • Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
