Afghanistan is all set to enter a new era in franchise cricket. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is all set to launch the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) 2026-27 later this year.
The inaugural season of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) is scheduled to begin on December 27, 2026, and will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at ICC-approved venues. Amid this, Afghanistan-West Indies series is likely to be postponed due to the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has also kept the door open to shift the tournament to other countries in future seasons. Well, three franchises are already confirmed.
The first season of the Afghanistan Premier League will begin on December 27, 2026.
Player registration: August 30, 2026
Player draft: September 27, 2026
League start: December 27, 2026
Venues
The inaugural APL season will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at ICC-approved venues.
Players for the first APL season will be selected through a draft system. The player registration process will open on August 30, followed by the inaugural draft on September 27.
Each team will have a squad of 16 to 18 players. Teams can select a maximum of four foreign players in their playing XI. At least one of the remaining seven players must be a local emerging player.
Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27 Format
The first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League will have five franchises. Every team will play at least eight group-stage matches in the T20 tournament.
The team finishing first in the league table will directly qualify for the final, just like the Indian Premier League (IPL). The teams finishing second and third will play the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator match will reach the APL Final.
The APL will start with five teams, with three franchises already sold. Akcel United Kabul has been bought by Amit Kaushal, founder and chairman of AKCEL Group.
The Kandahar Warriors franchise has been bought by Pankaj Chadha and Ashish Mehta of Dubai-based Bullfrog. They are also owners of the Pokhara Avengers in the Nepal Premier League.
The third franchise, Balakh Zwanan, has been purchased by Shakaib Rahimi, an Afghan-American businessman and long-time supporter of Afghan cricket.
The ACB is still in talks for the remaining two teams. Discussions are reportedly taking place with American billionaire business figures and some Indian corporate groups.
Six cities available for franchise owners
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has made Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar and Paktia available for franchise ownership.
The base price for the right to own and operate a team has been fixed at USD 1.25 million. Amid this, Afghanistan name T20I squad for India series, Virat Kohli's nemesis returns.
The Afghanistan Premier League rights have been given to Cricket Ventures LLC-FZ, a UAE-based company working with the MENA subsidiary of ITW Universe.
The league has also revealed its Koh-E-Zafar trophy, which has a mountain design representing Afghanistan's journey and growth in cricket.
What ACB said about Afghanistan Premier League 2026-27?
The Afghanistan Cricket Board stated: “The inaugural edition of the APL shall be hosted in the United Arab Emirates at ICC-approved venues. Subsequent editions of the APL may be hosted at alternative venues outside of the UAE, as may be communicated by the APL.”
The statement further reads: “What matters now is execution. Player registration opens 30 August. The inaugural draft is 27 September. The first ball is scheduled for 27 December.
Between those dates we have to lock remaining franchises, commercial partners, broadcast quality and a fan experience that matches the standard we are already applying to other Afghanistan-linked properties.
Leagues succeed when owners see a real asset, players see a real pathway, and brands see a clean, high-attention platform. That is the standard we are holding the APL to.”
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