Afghanistan board announces a five-team franchise-based T20 league

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a new franchise-based T20 league, the Afghanistan Premier League. The first season of the tournament, featuring five teams, is being planned to get underway around October 2026 in the UAE.

The ACB had launched an Afghanistan Premier League in early 2018 as well and there was only one season played of that tournament later that year, between five teams. High-profile names such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Shahid Afridi and others had played in that edition, but it was discontinued after payment issues and concerns around the league's integrity started emerging.

The new league by the same name is likely to have its 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.

"The Afghanistan Premier League represents a meaningful step forward in our cricketing journey," Mirwais Ashraf, the ACB chairman, said at the launch in Dubai on Saturday. "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, for 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 said.

Afghanistan continue to play their domestic T20 league - the Shpageeza Cricket League - between five domestic teams in the July-August window every year.