Thirty-nine, decorated, and still winning titles
Colin Munro was born in Durban, South Africa, on 11 March 1987, and moved to New Zealand as a boy, coming through Auckland cricket and playing for New Zealand at the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006. He is a left-handed opening batter, and Paktia took him as their third Gold pick at the Dubai draft on 3 November 2026, for a reported $40,000, after Ijaz Ahmadzai and Farmanullah Safi.
He is 39, and he is the most decorated T20 player in the 2026 draft. He retired from international cricket in May 2024, but he has not slowed down on the franchise circuit: in July 2026 he helped the Los Angeles Knight Riders win their first Major League Cricket title, finishing as the side’s leading run-scorer, and he was still turning out for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League in 2026.
He will play under captain Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with Azhar Mahmood as head coach and Waqar Younis as mentor. Paktia have bought that experience deliberately: a left-handed opener who has batted at the top of the order in just about every T20 league on the planet, and who has done it in finals as well as in league games.
A champion in 2018, and a winner ever since
This is a return to the APL for Munro, not a first visit. He played the inaugural season in 2018 for Balkh Legends, opening the batting in a side captained by Mohammad Nabi, and he finished that tournament with a winner’s medal. He opened in nine of the side’s ten matches and scored 188 runs at 20.89, striking at 127.03, with a best of 46.
His best innings came when Balkh needed them. The 46 came against Kandahar Knights on 7 October 2018, 46 off 24 balls with four fours and three sixes, in a 13-run win. He made 33 off 27 against Nangarhar Leopards on 11 October, and 33 off 22 in the first semi-final against the same opponents on 19 October, when Balkh posted 235 for 5 and won by 171 runs. The final, against Kabul Zwanan on 21 October, was the one blank in his tournament: a first-ball duck. It did not matter. Balkh chased down Kabul’s total with four wickets in hand and were crowned the first APL champions.
His international record is the headline: 65 T20I matches for New Zealand, and the first player ever to score three T20I hundreds. His Delhi Capitals profile credits him with eleven T20 titles across the franchise leagues.
A winner’s medal from 2018, and a new start
Munro’s 2018 numbers are verified from that season’s scorecards. His 2026-27 numbers do not exist yet, because the season has not started.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs / Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Balkh Legends | 9 | 188 runs |
| 2026-27 | Paktia | 0 | Season not started |
2018: 188 runs at 20.89, strike rate 127.03, best 46. Balkh Legends won the title, beating Kabul Zwanan by four wickets in the final on 21 October 2018.
An opener who has seen every league
Paktia’s batting order is full of hitters, and Munro is the one who has done it longest. He attacks the powerplay, he has opened in finals, and he has played in just about every T20 league on the planet — which means there is very little a UAE pitch can show him that he has not seen before.
The other half of the signing is the dressing room. A nineteen-player squad that has never played together needs players who know how a franchise week works, and Munro has won eleven T20 titles. That is not a stat to admire from a distance; it is the reason Paktia spent a Gold pick on a 39-year-old.
A new club, a blank record
Five teams chase four playoff places in APL 2026-27, so one side goes home after the league stage. Each team plays eight league matches — each opponent twice — and a win is worth two points. The table is empty because the season has not started: every team begins on zero points, and the first update comes after Match 1 on 27 December 2026, when the first ball is bowled at 5:30 PM Afghanistan time (5:00 PM Dubai time) in the UAE. The final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027.
Paktia are a new club for 2026-27, not a continuation of the 2018 Paktia Panthers — Munro’s 2018 medal was won with Balkh Legends, a different side. The Afghanistan Premier League season starts on 27 December 2026 in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
How many T20I hundreds has Colin Munro scored?
Three — he was the first player ever to score three T20I hundreds. He played 65 T20Is for New Zealand before retiring from international cricket in May 2024.
Did Colin Munro win the APL in 2018?
Yes, with Balkh Legends. He opened the batting in nine of their ten matches, scored 188 runs, and Balkh beat Kabul Zwanan by four wickets in the final on 21 October 2018.
What has Colin Munro won recently?
In July 2026 he helped the Los Angeles Knight Riders win their first Major League Cricket title, finishing as the side's leading run-scorer.
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