APL 2026 Squads: Captains and Big Overseas Names, All 5 Teams
Published on November 4, 2026
Summary Overview: Full squads for the Afghanistan Premier League 2026 after the Dubai draft, with each team's captain and big international signings, from Alex Hales and Shakib Al Hasan to Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Amir and Moeen Ali. The five-team, 24-match T20 league runs from December 27 to January 20 in the UAE.
When is it? The Afghanistan Premier League (APL) runs from Sunday, December 27, 2026, to Wednesday, January 20, 2027, in the United Arab Emirates.
How many matches? 24 in total. The five teams play a double round-robin, meaning each team plays every other team twice, which makes 20 league matches. The top teams then go into four knockout matches, ending with the final.
How many teams? Five: Kandahar Warriors, Akcel United Kabul, Nangarhar Cosmic, Team Paktia and Team Balkh.
Who are the captains?
| Team | Captain |
| Kandahar Warriors | Rashid Khan |
| Akcel United Kabul | Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Nangarhar Cosmic | Rahmat Shah |
| Team Paktia | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Team Balkh | Ibrahim Zadran |
Who are the biggest overseas names? Each team's top Platinum pick was an overseas star: Mohammad Amir (Kandahar), Johnson Charles (Kabul), Alex Hales (Nangarhar), Wanindu Hasaranga (Paktia) and Moeen Ali (Balkh). Shakib Al Hasan, Imran Tahir, Colin Munro and Kusal Perera were also picked.
The Story: The APL Returns
The Afghanistan Premier League was first held in 2018. After a long gap, the ACB has relaunched it as a five-team T20 franchise league, with each team representing a region of Afghanistan: Kandahar, Kabul, Nangarhar, Paktia and Balkh.
The players' draft was held in Dubai on November 3. According to the ACB, around 1,500 players registered, and about 450 were shortlisted for the teams to choose from.
For readers new to cricket: in a T20 match, each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries), and games last about three and a half hours. In a franchise league like this, each team mixes local players with overseas stars from other countries.
How the Draft Worked
Players were picked in categories, from the most expensive to the least:
| Category | What It Means |
| Platinum | Each team's top pick |
| Diamond | The next two picks |
| Gold | Five picks |
| Silver | Five picks |
| Emerging | Three young players |
| Supplementary | Two extra squad players |
With the captain, that gives each team a squad of 19 players.
Team-by-Team: Captains and Big International Names
Kandahar Warriors
| Captain | Rashid Khan |
| Head coach | Ravi Bopara |
| Mentor | Irfan Pathan |
| Platinum pick | Mohammad Amir (Pakistan) |
| Big international names | Mohammad Amir (Pakistan), Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka), Joe Clarke (England), Tymal Mills (England), Dwaine Pretorius (South Africa), George Munsey (Scotland) |
| Afghan stars | Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Karim Janat, Allah Noor Naseri |
Kandahar look the most star-studded side on paper. Rashid Khan, one of the best T20 bowlers in the world, leads a team that also has veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir, the only Pakistani player picked in the draft. Head coach Ravi Bopara is currently playing for Chitwan Rhinos in the Nepal Premier League.
Akcel United Kabul
| Captain | Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Head coach | Shane McDermott |
| Mentor | Nikhil Chopra |
| Platinum pick | Johnson Charles (West Indies) |
| Big international names | Johnson Charles (West Indies), Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka), Imran Tahir (South Africa), D'Arcy Short (Australia), Shamim Hossain (Bangladesh), Curtis Campher (Ireland) |
| Afghan stars | Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Hazratullah Zazai |
All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai leads a strong bowling attack, with left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi, spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. D'Arcy Short and Shamim Hossain are currently team-mates at Lumbini Lions in the NPL.
Nangarhar Cosmic
| Captain | Rahmat Shah |
| Platinum pick | Alex Hales (England) |
| Big international names | Alex Hales (England), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Amir Jangoo (West Indies), Junaid Siddique (UAE) |
| Afghan stars | Rahmat Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Alikhil, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi |
Experienced batter Rahmat Shah leads a side built around two of the draft's biggest names: England's big-hitting opener Alex Hales and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, currently playing for Pokhara Avengers in the NPL. Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis, who can bowl spin with either arm, adds more all-round depth.
Team Paktia
| Captain | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Platinum pick | Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) |
| Big international names | Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Nahid Rana (Bangladesh), Olly Stone (England), David Wiese (Namibia), Gerhard Erasmus (Namibia) |
| Afghan stars | Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Farmanullah Safi |
Explosive wicketkeeper-opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz leads a side with a spin attack to fear in leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, plus raw pace from Bangladesh's Nahid Rana. Experienced batter Hashmatullah Shahidi strengthens the middle order, and Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus joins fresh from being named Player of the Series in Namibia's 3-2 ODI series win over Ireland.
Team Balkh
| Captain | Ibrahim Zadran |
| Head coach | Mickey Arthur |
| Mentor | Tillakaratne Dilshan |
| Platinum pick | Moeen Ali (England) |
| Big international names | Moeen Ali (England), Luke Wood (England), Chris Wood (England), Tom Moores (England), Muhammad Waseem (UAE), Colin Ackermann (Netherlands) |
| Afghan stars | Ibrahim Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Qais Ahmad |
Opener Ibrahim Zadran leads a side with a strong English flavour, including all-rounder Moeen Ali (currently with Janakpur Bolts in the NPL) and left-arm quick Luke Wood. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem adds power at the top of the order.
Coaches and mentors for Nangarhar and Paktia: the ACB's October announcement named Toby Radford and Mark Boucher for Nangarhar, and Azhar Mahmood and Waqar Younis for Paktia. That announcement also listed Gurbaz as Nangarhar captain and Rahmat Shah as Paktia captain, which the official squad graphics show the other way round, so we will confirm these coaching roles once the ACB clarifies.
Stat Corner: Full Squads by Category
✈ = overseas player
Kandahar Warriors
| Category | Players |
| Captain | Rashid Khan |
| Platinum | Mohammad Amir ✈ |
| Diamond | Mohammad Nabi, Joe Clarke ✈ |
| Gold | Karim Janat, Tymal Mills ✈, Hassan Eisakhil, Farid Ahmad Malik, Kusal Perera ✈ |
| Silver | Mohammad Shahzad, Muslim Musa, Dwaine Pretorius ✈, George Munsey ✈, Allah Noor Naseri |
| Emerging | Noman Shah, Usman Khan, Naseer Maroof Khil |
| Supplementary | Shawkat Zaman, Ibrahim Masood |
Akcel United Kabul
| Category | Players |
| Captain | Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Platinum | Johnson Charles ✈ |
| Diamond | Fazalhaq Farooqi, Dushmantha Chameera ✈ |
| Gold | Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Imran Mir, D'Arcy Short ✈, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shamim Hossain ✈ |
| Silver | Imran Tahir ✈, Hazratullah Zazai, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Dawood Ahmadzai, Saleem Safi |
| Emerging | Uzairullah Niazai, Khalid Ahmadzai, Keramatullah |
| Supplementary | Baheer Shah Mehboob, Curtis Campher ✈ |
Nangarhar Cosmic
| Category | Players |
| Captain | Rahmat Shah |
| Platinum | Alex Hales ✈ |
| Diamond | Darwish Rasooli, Shakib Al Hasan ✈ |
| Gold | Kamindu Mendis ✈, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Akram, Ikram Alikhil, Junaid Siddique ✈ |
| Silver | Zahir Khan Pakteen, Shafiqullah Ghafari ✈, Ismat Alam, Yamin Ahmadzai, Amir Jangoo ✈ |
| Emerging | Faisal Khan Shinozada, Bahar Ali Shinwari, Islam Khan Zazai |
| Supplementary | Aftab Alam, Zubaid Akbari |
Team Paktia
| Category | Players |
| Captain | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Platinum | Wanindu Hasaranga ✈ |
| Diamond | Noor Ahmad, Nahid Rana ✈ |
| Gold | Ijaz Ahmadzai, Farmanullah Safi, David Wiese ✈, Colin Munro ✈, Hashmatullah Shahidi |
| Silver | Haseebullah Lakanwal, Nangeyalia Khan, Gerhard Erasmus ✈, Olly Stone ✈, Masood Gurbaz |
| Emerging | Abid Mohammadi, Khalid Taniwal, Wahidullah Zadran |
| Supplementary | Sediqullah Pacha, Khalil Gurbaz |
Team Balkh
| Category | Players |
| Captain | Ibrahim Zadran |
| Platinum | Moeen Ali ✈ |
| Diamond | AM Ghazanfar, Luke Wood ✈ |
| Gold | Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Muhammad Waseem ✈, Afsar Zazai, Abdullah Ahmadzai |
| Silver | Tom Moores ✈, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Abdullah Tarakhil, Colin Ackermann ✈, Waqar Salamkhail ✈ |
| Emerging | Salam Khan Ahmadzai, Azizullah Miakhil, Abdul Aziz Khan |
| Supplementary | Qais Ahmad, Chris Wood ✈ |
Categories and overseas markings are taken from the official ACB squad graphics.
Overseas Players by Country
| Country | Players |
| England | Alex Hales, Joe Clarke, Tymal Mills, Olly Stone, Moeen Ali, Luke Wood, Chris Wood, Tom Moores |
| Sri Lanka | Kusal Perera, Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga |
| Bangladesh | Shakib Al Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Nahid Rana |
| South Africa | Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius |
| Namibia | David Wiese, Gerhard Erasmus |
| UAE | Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Waseem |
| West Indies | Johnson Charles, Amir Jangoo |
| Pakistan | Mohammad Amir |
| New Zealand | Colin Munro |
| Australia | D'Arcy Short |
| Ireland | Curtis Campher |
| Scotland | George Munsey |
| Netherlands | Colin Ackermann |
Shafiqullah Ghafari (Nangarhar) and Waqar Salamkhail (Balkh) are also marked as overseas players in the official graphics.
What's Next
| Event | Date | Details |
| Tournament starts | Sun, Dec 27, 2026 | UAE (venues and match times to be announced) |
| League stage | From Dec 27 | 20 matches, double round-robin |
| Knockouts | January 2027 | 4 matches, including the final |
| Final | Wed, Jan 20, 2027 | UAE |
The full fixture list and venues will be added once released.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Afghanistan Premier League 2026 start and end?
- It starts on Sunday, December 27, 2026, and the final is on Wednesday, January 20, 2027, in the UAE.
How many matches will be played?
- 24: twenty league matches in a double round-robin, then four knockout matches, including the final.
When is the final?
- Wednesday, January 20, 2027.
Who are the captains?
- Rashid Khan (Kandahar Warriors), Azmatullah Omarzai (Akcel United Kabul), Rahmat Shah (Nangarhar Cosmic), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Team Paktia) and Ibrahim Zadran (Team Balkh).
Is Shakib Al Hasan playing in the APL?
- Yes. He was picked by Nangarhar Cosmic in the Diamond category.
Which Pakistani player is in the APL?
- Mohammad Amir, Kandahar Warriors' Platinum pick, was the only Pakistani player selected in the draft.
How big is each squad?
- 19 players: the captain plus Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Emerging and Supplementary picks.
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