The Afghanistan Premier League (APL) 2026-27 is set to bring franchise-based T20 cricket back to Afghanistan after an eight-year gap. Organised by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the revived competition is scheduled to begin on December 27, 2026, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Five franchises will compete for the title, featuring some of Afghanistan’s leading international cricketers alongside experienced overseas players. The tournament is expected to feature 24 matches, including league-stage matches and playoffs.
The five participating teams are Akcel United Kabul, Team Balkh, Kandahar Warriors, Nangarhar Cosmic and Team Paktia. The player draft took place in Dubai on November 3, 2026, with all five franchises completing their squads. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Amir, Moeen Ali, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales and Wanindu Hasaranga are among the notable players associated with the competition. Here are the complete tournament details, teams, captains, squads and live-streaming information for APL 2026-27.
Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27: Tournament Details
|
Details |
Information |
|---|---|
|
Tournament Name |
Afghanistan Premier League (APL) 2026-27 |
|
Organiser |
Afghanistan Cricket Board |
|
Format |
T20 |
|
Start Date |
December 27, 2026 |
|
Host Country |
United Arab Emirates |
|
Number of Teams |
5 |
|
Total Matches |
24 |
|
Draft Venue |
Dubai, UAE |
|
Tournament Format |
Double Round-Robin and Playoffs |
Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27: Teams and Captains
|
No. |
Team |
Captain |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Akcel United Kabul |
Azmatullah Omarzai |
|
2 |
Team Balkh |
Ibrahim Zadran |
|
3 |
Kandahar Warriors |
Rashid Khan |
|
4 |
Nangarhar Cosmic |
Rahmat Shah |
|
5 |
Team Paktia |
Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27: Full Squads
Akcel United Kabul Squad:
Azmatullah Omarzai (Captain), Johnson Charles, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Dushmantha Chameera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Imran Mir, Sharafuddin Ashraf, D’Arcy Short, Shamim Hossain, Imran Tahir, Hazratullah Zazai, Dawood Ahmadzai, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Uzairullah Niazai, Khalid Ahmadzai, Keramatullah, Said Bahir Shah Mahbob, Curtis Campher.
Team Balkh Squad:
Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Moeen Ali, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Luke Wood, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Muhammad Waseem, Afsar Khan Zazai, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Thomas Moores, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Abdullah Tarakhail, Colin Ackermann, Mohammad Waqar Salamkheil, Salaam Khan Ahmadzai, Azizullah Miakhil, Abdul Aziz Khan, Qais Ahmad, Christopher Wood.
Kandahar Warriors Squad:
Rashid Khan (Captain), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nabi, Joe Clarke, Karim Janat, Hassan Eisakhil, Farid Ahmad Malik, Kusal Perera, Tymal Mills, Mohammad Shahzad, Muslim Musa, Dwaine Pretorius, George Munsey, Allah Noor Naseri, Numan Shah Agha, Usman Khan, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, Shawkat Zaman Momand, Mohammad Ibrahim Masood.
Nangarhar Cosmic Squad:
Rahmat Shah (Captain), Alex Hales, Darwish Rasooli, Shakib Al Hasan, Kamindu Mendis, Ziawrahman Sharifi, Mohammad Akram Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Junaid Siddique, Zahir Khan Pakten, Ismatullah Alam, Mohammad Yamin Ahmadzai, Amir Jangoo, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Bahar Ali Shinwari, Islam Khan Zazai, Aftab Alam, Zubairullah Akbari.
Team Paktia Squad:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Nahid Rana, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Farmanullah Safi, Colin Munro, David Wiese, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hasibullah Lakanwal, Nangeyalia Khan, Gerhard Erasmus, Olly Stone, Masoodulrahman Gurbaz, Abid Mohammadi, Khalid Taniwal, Wahidullah Zadran, Sediqullah Pacha, Khalil Ahmad Gurbaz.
Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27: Live Streaming Details
Not Yet Announced