Shaheen Afridi emerged as the most successful captain in Pakistan Super League history as his Lahore Qalandars side stormed to the title with a six-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators in the final on Sunday.
Lahore chased down the 202-run target with one ball to spare as Afridi lifted the PSL trophy for the third time.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batter Kusal Perera (62) and local batting star Mohammad Naeem (46) powered Lahore’s chase but it was Afridi who had restricted Quetta earlier with a stunning spell, finishing with 3-24 in a high-scoring contest.
The match, however, was dominated by the bat as the future of Pakistan’s batting was on display during the final, with Hasan Nawaz of Quetta and Naeem landing some heavy hits in a tense contest.
Up-and-coming batting star Nawaz saved his best for the most important match of the tournament at the Qaddafi Stadium as he cracked 76 from 43 balls. His was the best effort in an all-round batting display by Quetta as five of their top seven batters made decent contributions.
Sri Lankan duo Avishka Fernando (29) and Dinesh Chandimal (22) played impactful innings but it was all-rounder Faheem Ashraf who once again delivered with the bat, smashing 28 from just eight balls with three sixes to edge the total to 201-9.
Nawaz thus continued his stellar form in T20 cricket, averaging 57 in the PSL with a ton and three fifties, to go with his T20 century in New Zealand earlier in the year.
A target of over 200 in a tournament final was a psychological boost for Quetta. They could have had a lot more as four of Lahore’s five bowlers went for more than 10 runs an over. The only reason Quetta got restricted to around 200 was another superb spell by pace ace Afridi.
The left-arm quick and Qalandars captain returned superb figures of 3-24 from his four overs, including important scalps of his counterpart Saud Shakeel and top-scorer Nawaz.
Afridi also finished as the highest wicket taker in the tournament with 19 scalps at an economy of under eight.
In reply, Lahore too were powered at the top by their own local batting powerhouse Naeem, who made a brisk 46 from 27 balls with a staggering six sixes.
Abdullah Shafique maintained the tempo for Lahore with 41 from 28 but it was Sri Lankan batter Perera who anchored the chase with 62 not out from 31 balls with five fours and four sixes.
The finishing touch was provided by Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who had flown in for the final at the last possible moment. Raza hit six and a four off the third last and penultimate ball of the tournament, bowled by Faheem, to secure victory with six wickets and one ball in hand.
It was a noteworthy effort from Raza who had been busy with his national team during a one-off Test in England. After his team succumbed to an innings defeat in Nottingham on Saturday, Raza flew straight to Pakistan and landed in Lahore just in time to feature in the final.
Lahore have now won three of the last four PSL titles.
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
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
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Rating: 4.5/5
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
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.”
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
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