The first season of the Afghanistan Premier League is set for late 2026.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a new franchise-based T20 tournament, the Afghanistan Premier League (APL). The inaugural season, featuring five teams, is planned to take place around October 2026 in the UAE.
ACB had previously launched an Afghanistan Premier League in early 2018, which saw only one season played that year with five teams. The tournament featured high-profile stars such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, and Shahid Afridi, but it was discontinued due to payment issues and concerns about the league’s integrity.
The new league, using the same name, is expected to hold its player draft around June-July 2026.
“The inaugural season will feature five city-based franchises, bringing together Afghanistan’s leading national players alongside prominent overseas professionals and emerging local talent,” the ACB said in a press release.
Mirwais Ashraf, ACB chairman, said at the launch in Dubai on Saturday, “The Afghanistan Premier League represents a meaningful step forward in our cricketing journey. It creates new opportunities for our players, inspires the next generation, and allows Afghanistan cricket to be showcased on a global platform. We see the APL as an important contributor to the growth and unity of the game, both domestically and internationally.”
The ACB has partnered with Cricket Venture, a joint venture of Trans Group and ITW Universe, to manage the league.
“Following the launch, organisers will move into the next phase, which includes finalising franchise identities, confirming commercial partners, and progressing the player auction or draft process,” the release added.
Afghanistan will continue to host its domestic T20 competition, the Shpageeza Cricket League, which takes place annually between July and August with five domestic teams.
