Money talks and nothing speaks as loudly as the riches offered by the Indian Premier League.
A total of 10 teams provide the best cricketers in the world – apart from those of Pakistan, unfortunately – a chance to not only play in the most competitive tournament in the world but also take home some of the biggest cheques in professional sport for what is a two-month tournament.
This year's tournament has already broken a number of records months before the 2023 season kicks off in April.
England all-rounder Sam Curran emerged as the most expensive player in the history of the tournament as he was picked up by Punjab Kings for an eye-watering bid of 185 million Indian rupees ($2.26 million) following a fierce bidding war with Chennai Super Kings.
Curran has become a high-profile white-ball player after his tournament-winning effort in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
Fellow England star all-rounder Ben Stokes, young batsman Harry Brook and Australia's Cameroon Green were some of the other players to hit the jackpot during the player auction last month.
Top 20 highest paid cricketers in IPL 2023
1. Sam Curran (Punjab Kings): 185 million rupees (approximately $2.26m)
2. Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians): 175m rupees ($2.14m)
3. KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants): 170m rupees ($2m)
4. Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings): 162.5m rupees ($1.98m)
5= Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants): 160m rupees ($1.95m)
5= Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings): 160m rupees ($1.95m)
5= Rishabh Pant* (Delhi Capitals): 160m rupees ($1.95m)
5= Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders): 160m rupees ($1.95m)
5= Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians): 160m rupees ($1.95m)
10. Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians): 152.5m rupees ($1.86m)
11. Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans): 150m rupees ($1.8m)
11= Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans): 150m rupees ($1.8m)
11= Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers): 150m rupees ($1.8m)
14. Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals): 140m rupees ($1.7m)
14= Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings): 140m rupees ($1.7m)
16. Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad): 132.5m rupees ($1.6m)
17. Shreyas Iyer ** (Kolkata Knight Riders): 122.5m rupees ($1.5m)
18. Varun Chakravarthy (Kolkata Knight Riders): 120m rupees ($1.45m)
18= Jasprit Bumrah* (Mumbai Indians): 120m rupees ($1.45m)
18= Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals): 120m rupees ($1.45m)
* Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah injured and unavailable for tournament. ** Shreyas Iyer unavailable
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
SPECS
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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
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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
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The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Liz%20Truss
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059