Following a decade where Afghan cricketers have become prominent fixtures in major global T20 tournaments—including the IPL, CPL, PSL, ILT20, SA20, and BBL—the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is set to launch its own professional T20 league. The inaugural season is scheduled to commence on December 27, with the United Arab Emirates serving as the host nation for the opening edition.
The ACB has already secured three of the five planned franchises, with the base price for owning and operating a team set at USD 1,250,000. Amit Kaushal of the AKCEL Group has acquired the Kabul franchise, branded as Akcel United Kabul. Meanwhile, Dubai-based business partners Pankaj Chadha and Ashish Mehta, who also own the Pokhara Avengers in the Nepal Premier League, have purchased the Kandahar Warriors. Additionally, Afghan-American entrepreneur Shakaib Rahimi has secured the rights to the Balkh Zwanan team.
Negotiations are currently underway with several US-based billionaire magnates and Indian corporate entities to finalize the remaining two franchises. The league has granted operational and promotional rights to the UAE-based Cricket Ventures LLC-FZ, which is working in a joint venture with the MENA subsidiary of ITW Universe. Bhairav Shanth, co-founder of ITW Universe, stated that the partnership aims to build a professionally managed, internationally visible property that fosters Afghan talent and provides investors with a long-term, decade-long runway.
The league structure will feature five teams, each maintaining a squad of 16 to 18 players. Playing XIs are restricted to a maximum of four foreign players, with a requirement to include at least one local emerging player among the remaining seven. The tournament format dictates that each team will play at least eight group-stage matches. The top-ranked team will advance directly to the final, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in an Eliminator match to determine the other finalist.
Key dates for the inaugural season have been finalized: player registration opens on August 30, followed by the inaugural player draft on September 27. While the first edition will be held at ICC-approved venues in the UAE, the ACB has indicated that future editions may be hosted at alternative international locations.
The league’s identity is represented by the Koh-E-Zafar trophy, which features a mountain motif intended to symbolize the resilience of the Afghan cricket community. Available franchise locations for future acquisition include Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar, and Paktia. Organizers are currently focused on finalizing commercial partnerships, broadcast quality standards, and fan engagement strategies to ensure the league meets the high professional benchmarks established by other international cricket properties. The report also notes that it is now time for them to showcase their skills in their own league. The report also notes that the possibility for future venues remains open-ended. The report also notes that the trophy’s mountain motif is not decoration; it is the right metaphor for a cricket nation that has climbed through extraordinary circumstances. The report also notes that players see a real pathway, and brands see a clean, high-attention platform, leagues succeed when owners see a real asset. The report also notes that the APL’s inaugural Edition shall comprise 5 Teams. The report also notes that each Team plays a minimum of 8 group-stage matches. The report also notes that a maximum of 4 foreign players and one local emerging player in the remaining 7, in the playing XI.
