Afghanistan Premier League: A New Era in T20 Cricket
For years, Afghanistan’s cricketers have lit up the world’s biggest T20 stages — IPL, CPL, PSL, BBL, SA20, ILT20. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and company became global specialists long before they had a fully fledged, stable league to call their own.
That imbalance is about to change.
At the end of this year, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) will roll out the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), a rebooted, IPL-style T20 tournament, with its inaugural ball scheduled for 27 December in the United Arab Emirates.
A League Without a Home Ground — For Now
The first edition will be staged at ICC-approved venues in the UAE, a practical choice for logistics, security and broadcast. But the ACB has deliberately left the door wide open.
“The inaugural edition of the APL shall be hosted in the United Arab Emirates at ICC-approved venues. Subsequent editions of the APL may be hosted at alternative venues outside of the UAE, as may be communicated by the APL,” the board has confirmed.
No fixed long-term venue. No permanent exile either. The message is clear: start strong in a proven cricket market, then stay flexible as the league finds its feet and as Afghanistan’s own circumstances evolve.
Three Owners Locked In, Two Still in Play
The APL will begin with five franchises. Three already have owners; two more are in advanced discussions.
Indian-origin investment leads the early charge. Amit Kaushal, founder and chairman of AKCEL Group, has taken control of the Kabul outfit, branded Akcel United Kabul. From Dubai, Pankaj Chadha and Ashish Mehta of Bullfrog — already involved in the Nepal Premier League through the Pokhara Avengers — have snapped up the Kandahar franchise, Kandahar Warriors.
The third confirmed team carries a deeply personal Afghan connection. Afghan-American entrepreneur Shakaib Rahimi, a long-time backer of the country’s cricket journey, has bought the Balakh side, Balakh Zwanan.
Two franchises remain on the table. The ACB is in talks with “a couple of billionaire business magnates from the US” and “a few Indian corporates” to complete the initial five-team grid. The money is circling; the final signatures will shape the league’s early power map.
A Long-Term Play, Not a One-Off Experiment
To run and promote the APL, the ACB has handed league rights to Cricket Ventures LLC-FZ, a UAE-based company working in joint venture with the MENA subsidiary of ITW Universe.
This is not being sold as a quick hit.
“When we signed the long-term partnership with the ACB, the brief was simple and ambitious: rebuild the APL as a professionally run, internationally visible T20 property that develops Afghan talent and gives investors a decade-long runway,” said Bhairav Shanth, Co Founder, ITW Universe.
The ambition is twofold: turn the APL into a credible commercial asset and, just as crucially, create a structured pathway for Afghan players who currently scatter across foreign leagues without a flagship domestic platform of their own.
The Mountain and the Metaphor
The league now has its first visible symbols: three franchises, their identities, and the Koh-E-Zafar trophy.
“This week’s announcements in Dubai — the first three franchises, their identities, and the Koh-E-Zafar trophy — turn that brief into a living league. The trophy’s mountain motif is not decoration; it is the right metaphor for a cricket nation that has climbed through extraordinary circumstances,” Shanth said.
Few cricket stories have been as steep, or as improbable, as Afghanistan’s rise from refugee camps and makeshift pitches to World Cup mainstays and global T20 drawcards. The Koh-E-Zafar — “Mountain of Victory” — leans straight into that narrative. It is branding, yes, but it is also a statement of identity.
The Countdown: Dates, Deadlines, Decisions
Now comes the hard part.
“What matters now is execution. Player registration opens 30 August. The inaugural draft is 27 September. The first ball is scheduled for 27 December,” Shanth outlined.
Three dates. Three pressure points.
By the time the draft arrives, the league must have its remaining franchises locked in, its commercial partners signed, and its broadcast plan ready to carry Afghan cricket into living rooms far beyond the UAE.
“Between those dates we have to lock remaining franchises, commercial partners, broadcast quality and a fan experience that matches the standard we are already applying to other Afghanistan-linked properties. Leagues succeed when owners see a real asset, players see a real pathway, and brands see a clean, high-attention platform. That is the standard we are holding the APL to.”
That line is the bar the organisers have set for themselves. This is not meant to be a nostalgia project or a token national league that survives on sentiment. It is pitched as a serious, modern T20 property.
A New Stage for a Restless Talent Pool
For Afghanistan’s players, the implications are obvious. Instead of only auditioning abroad, they will have a home-branded stage with global visibility, backed by international investors and professional operators. For younger cricketers, the APL could become the bridge between domestic obscurity and the bright lights of the IPL or BBL.
For owners and brands, it is a calculated gamble: back a cricket nation whose stars are already proven, and hope the league infrastructure can catch up quickly enough.
The schedule is tight, the ambitions are high, and the climb — fittingly — is steep. By the time that first ball is bowled on 27 December, the world will see whether Afghanistan’s long-travelled T20 specialists finally have a league worthy of calling home.
