Afghanistan Premier League to resume on December 27 after eight-year hiatus

The Afghanistan Premier League (APL) will return on December 27, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced at a ceremony in Dubai on Wednesday, ending an eight-year absence for the franchise T20 competition.

The APL was first staged in the United Arab Emirates in 2018, featuring five teams — Kabul Zwanan, Balkh Legends, Kandahar Knights, Nangarhar Leopards and Paktia Panthers. In that inaugural season Balkh Legends, led by Mohammad Nabi, beat Kabul Zwanan by four wickets in the final, and Rashid Khan was named Player of the Tournament.

The revived tournament will adopt a new franchise structure, with Axcel United Kabul, Balkh Zwanan and Kandahar Warriors confirmed as the first three franchises. The Koh-E-Zafar trophy, translated as “Mountain of Victory”, was unveiled at the same Dubai event alongside the franchise announcements.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf addressed the gathering and said: "Today is a landmark occasion for Afghan cricket. The unveiling of our inaugural franchises and the Koh-E-Zafar trophy reflects our shared vision of building a league that inspires future generations. The three franchises have also outlined ambitions centred around developing local talent and building strong connections with their respective regions,” Ashraf said.

The ACB said the process of finalising the remaining franchises is ongoing and that further selections will be completed before venues and the full schedule are announced. Details released so far did not include match locations or a complete fixture list.

The inaugural APL attracted a number of international stars in 2018, including Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Shahid Afridi, Andre Russell and Mohammad Hafeez. The revived competition will now look to build on that foundation and establish itself as another significant franchise T20 tournament.

The ACB has set the next procedural steps: the player registration portal is scheduled to open on August 30 and the player draft is planned for September 27; venues and the complete schedule will be confirmed once the remaining franchise selections are finalised.