Over the years, Afghanistan cricket has gained immense popularity in India and various parts of the world. The Afghans are one of the most improved teams in world cricket in the white-ball format; He has displayed an amazing brand of cricket in the ODI and T20I formats. Now they are ready to reach new heights as they prepare to launch a league.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has decided to start the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) in the UAE with 5 franchises on December 27, 2026. They are launching a competition built around one of the most passionate fan bases in the game, and are also a step towards bringing in a lot of young players and developing them for international cricket.
Afghanistan is preparing to start a new league with five franchises.
The tournament will feature five franchises from the major cricket regions of Afghanistan: Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Paktia and Nangarhar. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has asked investors, sports entrepreneurs and commercial partners from around the world to participate in the franchise ownership process, which is proposed to take place on June 30, 2026. This is a big step forward for franchise cricket as it expands further across the world.
As ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said, “The Afghanistan Premier League is a strategic step forward for Afghan cricket. Through the APL, we aim to establish a sustainable and globally recognized cricket property that showcases Afghan talent, attracts international investment and contributes to the long-term growth of the game.”
ACB partners with ITW
“The inaugural season will feature five city-based franchises, bringing together Afghanistan’s leading national players as well as leading foreign professionals and emerging local talent,” the ACB said in an earlier press release. ACB collaborated with Cricket Ventures, a Trans Group and ITW Universe joint venture to organize the competition.
“After the launch, the organizers will move on to the next phase, which includes finalizing the franchise identity, confirming commercial partners and moving forward with the player auction or draft process,” the release said. However, they did not confirm the date last year and now, as per Crictracker report, they have released the date.
Many more to follow……