Afghanistan Cricket Board just dropped some massive news for cricket fans worldwide. They’re launching the Afghanistan Premier League which will start in October 2026 officially. This new T20 tournament wants to compete with big leagues like the PSL and others.
The APL will have five city-based teams featuring top Afghan cricketers playing together. Overseas stars and young local talents will also get chances to showcase their skills. ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf called this a huge step forward for Afghan cricket’s future.
The tournament will be hosted in the UAE rather than Afghanistan itself currently. Cricket Venture is partnering with ACB to handle sponsorships and manage everything smoothly. Player drafts should happen around June or July 2026 before the season begins.
Learning from Past Mistakes
Afghanistan actually tried launching a T20 league back in 2018 before this attempt. That version attracted massive international stars like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, and Shahid Afridi. But serious payment issues and management problems killed it after just one season.
Players didn’t get their money on time which created huge controversies everywhere then. The entire tournament collapsed leaving everyone disappointed and angry about the mismanagement. This new APL hopefully won’t repeat those same mistakes this time.
The cricket board seems more prepared now with proper partnerships and planning already. They’ve learned hard lessons from that failed experiment eight years ago clearly. Getting Cricket Venture involved shows they’re taking the professional side seriously this time.
Goals Beyond Just IPL-Style Cricket
Mirwais Ashraf emphasized this league will create growth opportunities for Afghan players desperately. Young cricketers need platforms to develop skills and gain valuable match experience regularly. The APL aims to inspire an entirely new generation of Afghan cricket stars.
Afghanistan will also continue running their annual Shpageeza Cricket League domestically alongside this. Having both tournaments gives players more chances to play competitive cricket throughout the year. The domestic league focuses on local talent while APL brings international flavor completely.
No word yet on potential IPL price ranges for overseas players joining APL. But teams will likely need competitive salaries to attract quality international cricketers away from other leagues. October 2026 can’t come soon enough for Afghan cricket fans, who are eagerly waiting now.
