Dubai: There was no shortage of sporting action this weekend, with golf showcasing a major comeback, Virat Kohli’s return to the Indian side, Formula One and more, providing plenty of standout performances and some big disappointments.
Check out the Gulf News’ winners and losers from a packed weekend of sport, as we look at the biggest stars, teams and talking points from the action.
Winners
Virat Kohli: He marked his return to ODI cricket in style, scoring an unbeaten 139 against the West Indies. The century was his 55th in the format and saw him become only the second player to reach 15,000 ODI runs after Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli also broke Tendulkar’s record for the most runs scored in home ODIs (7,006 runs).
George Russell: The Mercedes driver claimed his third victory of the 2026 F1 season by winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Russell held off Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds to close the gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The gap between the teammates now remains 66 points.
UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar: All three countries all booked their places in the Gulf Cup 27 semifinals. The UAE and Qatar will meet on Wednesday, September 30, to decide who finishes top of Group B, while Saudi Arabia face Iraq in their final Group A match on Tuesday, with the semifinal pairings to be confirmed after the group stage. The semifinals are scheduled for October 3.
England cricket team: The Three Lions secured a 2-1 ODI series victory over Sri Lanka after a dominant 223-run win at The Oval. Tom Banton scored his maiden ODI century, while Harry Brook and Jordan Cox also contributed with the bat before England’s bowlers dismissed Sri Lanka for 133.
Raul Rosas Jr.: The 21-year-old produced a memorable performance by stopping Raoni Barcelos in the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night main event. Rosas earned the TKO victory though the result was overshadowed by Barcelos being stretchered from the arena and taken to hospital. He was later reported to be stable, alert and responsive.
Losers
Lewis Hamilton: It was another frustrating weekend for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in Baku. Hamilton finished sixth while voicing his frustrations with team after struggling to extract performance from the car.
He remains third in the F1 drivers’ championship with 199 points, 103 behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
International Team: They let a commanding lead slip away at the Presidents Cup as the United States produced a remarkable comeback to retain the trophy. The Americans dominated Sunday’s singles session 9.5-2.5 to turn the contest around and win the Presidents Cup 17-13.
Jurgen Klopp: The former Liverpool manager is still waiting for his first victory as Germany head coach after a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Greece. Dimitrios Kourbelis scored in the 74th minute to hand Greece victory in Klopp’s first home match in charge.
