Bhanuka Rajapaksa: remember the name. For Sri Lankans, it is one that is impossible to forget. This time, though, it brought unbridled joy to a country craving it.
Sri Lanka are back on top of continental cricket. They returned to the winner’s circle at the Asia Cup for the first time since 2014 after stunning Pakistan with a 23-run win in Sunday night’s final in Dubai.
The last time they won it, their side boasted household names like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, and Lasith Malinga.
In the time since, all those greats have ebbed away. The team have suffered whitewashes. Their cricket has been riven by corruption scandals, not to mention all the ordeals faced beyond sport.
Now, they have new heroes to celebrate. They have names like Pramod Madushan, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana and, of course, Rajapaksa. Not all as recognisable as those who went before, but champions, all.
Not that it seemed certain to be the case all the way through the final. First off, Pakistan won the toss. Then they started like a whirlwind.
Shaheen Afridi’s absence cast a pall over the start of this competition for Pakistan, but in truth his absence has just led to other stars being made.
A pace attack with him in would have been a cheat mode. As it is, Naseem Shah has had the chance to make a name for himself in the shortest format.
Not just as a fast bowler of substance. Nor even as an ice-cool finisher with bat. Rather he has taken Shaheen’s mantle as a first-over box-office smash.
This time around, he nearly prompted the Majlis-style roof to be lifted off Dubai International Stadium with the roar that his third ball elicited.
A 142kmh in-ducker obliterated Kusal Mendis’ stumps. It was acclaimed by some in the commentary box as the ball of the tournament.
It was also the third time in the competition Naseem had dismissed a batter off the first ball they faced – KL Rahul and Mohammed Nabi being the previous two.
It prefaced a blistering start to the game, led by a Pakistan pace attack that was breathing fire.
Haris Rauf pushed the speedgun way past 150 kph. He had in-form opener Pathum Nissanka caught by Babar Azam, then sent Danushka Gunathilaka’s stumps flying.
When Ifthikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan chipped in with the wickets of Dhananjaya de Silva and Dasun Shanaka respectively, Pakistan appeared to be home and hosed. Halfway through their overs, Sri Lanka were 67 for five, and finished.
Not that anyone told Rajapaksa. Over the space of the next 10 overs, he oversaw the addition of 103 more runs, with just one extra wicket falling.
The burly left-hander muscled his side to 170, making 71 not out himself, and sharing in a stand of 58 for the fifth wicket with Wanindu Hasaranga, plus 54 for the next with Chamika Karunaratne.
The fact he hit the last two balls of the innings for four then six meant the Sri Lankans finished on a high. That quickly dissipated, though.
Where Naseem’s first over had been a dream, around an hour and a half later, Dilshan Madushanka’s for Sri Lanka was a nightmare.
The young left-armer has caught the eye with his excellence this tournament, most notably when he fired out Virat Kohli in the win over India.
This, though, was cringeworthy. None of the first five deliveries he sent down was a legitimate one. By that stage, Pakistan’s score read: nine for no loss of 0.0 overs.
It needed his almost-namesake to get Sri Lanka back on a firm footing. Madushan, a 28-year-old journeyman medium-pacer, had played just one previous match in this tournament.
It appears he is saved for matches against Pakistan, seeing as his only other outing was their Super 4 encounter with their fellow finalists, two nights earlier.
Despite the low-key billing, he threatened to steal the show in the final, as he took the wickets of Babar, Fakhar Zaman, and Ifthikhar, before later adding the scalp of Naseem Shah.
His incisions opened the gap for Sri Lanka's one real household name to exploit. By the time Hasaranga had taken three wickets with his highly-prized leg-spin in the 17th over, Pakistan were 112 for seven, and their hopes entirely spent.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More coverage from the Future Forum
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
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Church of South Indian Parish
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
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
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
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*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Honeymoonish
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
