APL Afghanistan Premier League FAQs

The APL 2026-27 season starts on 27 December 2026 and is played in the United Arab Emirates. The full fixture and the final date will be confirmed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board closer to the tournament.

Five franchises: Akcel United Kabul, Team Balkh, Kandahar Warriors, Nangarhar Cosmic and Team Paktia. Each is led by a leading Afghan player.

Azmatullah Omarzai leads Akcel United Kabul, Ibrahim Zadran captains Team Balkh, Rashid Khan leads Kandahar Warriors, Rahmat Shah captains Nangarhar Cosmic and Rahmanullah Gurbaz leads Team Paktia.

The squads were built through a player draft on 3 November 2026 in Dubai, using fixed fee categories rather than open bidding. Each franchise signed one Platinum-tier player at the confirmed fee of US$100,000, within a reported US$725,000 salary cap.

The Platinum-tier picks were Mohammad Amir (Kandahar Warriors), Moeen Ali (Team Balkh), Alex Hales (Nangarhar Cosmic), Johnson Charles (Akcel United Kabul) and Wanindu Hasaranga (Team Paktia).

The player draft was streamed on the APL and ACB official channels, on FanCode in India and on AF Sports Television in Afghanistan. Full match broadcast and streaming details will be confirmed nearer the season.

Balkh Legends won the only previous APL, in 2018, beating Kabul Zwanan in the final in Sharjah. The 2026-27 season is the competition's second edition.

The whole season is hosted in the United Arab Emirates, which has long served as a home venue for Afghan cricket. The ACB will confirm the exact grounds closer to the start.