Dushmantha Chameera — Bowler
Dushmantha Chameera brings genuine pace to Akcel United Kabul in APL 2026-27 — a Diamond pick, a five-for in every international format, and the third Sri Lankan to 100 T20I wickets.
Chameera was 26 when the first APL season was played in October 2018 — a Sri Lanka international who had already played in a World Cup and made his Test debut. His name did not appear in that season, so APL 2026-27 is his first in the league, eight years after he could plausibly have played in it. He arrives as a finished article: a right-arm fast bowler with a five-wicket haul in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
The most recent of those came at home, in Pallekele in 2026 — 5 for 24 against England, his maiden T20I five-for. It also carried him to 100 T20I wickets, making him only the third Sri Lankan to reach the mark. His best Test figures, 5 for 47 against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2015, are a decade old now, which is itself the point: Chameera has been doing this at the top level for a very long time.
Born in Ragama on 11 January 1992, he bowls right-arm fast and bats right-handed. For Kabul he is the pace partner to Fazalhaq Farooqi’s left-arm swing — one end swing, one end speed — and on UAE pitches where the ball can skid on, that combination is the attack’s sharpest edge.
APL 2026-27 in numbers
The season has not started yet, so Dushmantha Chameera has no APL 2026-27 numbers at all. The first ball is on Sunday 27 December 2026 at 5:30 PM Afghanistan time (5:00 PM Dubai time) in the UAE, and this page will carry his season figures from Match 1 onwards. Until then, the table below is honest: played 0, and everything else to be announced.
| Matches | Runs | Wickets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| APL 2026-27 | 0 | — | — |
What he brings into the season, in verified figures:
| Career mark | Figure |
|---|---|
| T20I wickets | 100 (third Sri Lankan to the mark) |
| Maiden T20I five-for | 5/24 vs England, Pallekele 2026 |
| Best Test figures | 5/47 vs New Zealand, Hamilton 2015 |
| Draft category | Diamond — US$65,000 |
Season figures are to be announced — the season starts on 27 December 2026. Career figures are from the verified player record.
Where he fits at Akcel United Kabul
Dushmantha Chameera plays for Akcel United Kabul in APL 2026-27, captained by Azmatullah Omarzai and coached by Shane McDermott, with Nikhil Chopra as mentor. The squad of nineteen was set at the draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026 — 90 players picked from 462 across 18 rounds.
Chameera bowls with the new ball and at the death, so his overs will decide plenty of Kabul games. He and Farooqi give Shane McDermott two quicks who attack in completely different ways, and behind them sit Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Imran Tahir to squeeze the middle overs. The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026 in the UAE; Afghanistan Premier League 2026 will follow every Kabul match, with fixtures on the APL Schedule and the standings on the APL Points Table. The full squad is on the APL Players page.
Five teams chase four playoff places in a double round-robin, so every team plays eight league matches — each opponent twice — and one side goes home after the league stage. The final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Kabul are a new club with no APL record yet, and that is the point: everything this squad does in 2026-27 will be a first.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dushmantha Chameera’s role at Akcel United Kabul?
Bowler. The Sri Lankan right-arm fast bowler was a Diamond pick at the 3 November 2026 draft and bowls with the new ball and at the death.
Has Dushmantha Chameera played in the APL before?
No. He was already a Sri Lanka international in 2018 but did not play in the first APL season. APL 2026-27 is his debut season in the league.
What are Dushmantha Chameera’s career landmarks?
A five-wicket haul in every international format, 100 T20I wickets — the third Sri Lankan to reach the mark — and a maiden T20I five-for of 5 for 24 against England in 2026.