He has won this league — for the other Balkh club
Gulbadin Naib is the only player in the Balkh Zwanan squad who has already won the Afghanistan Premier League — he played all nine matches for Balkh Legends in the 2018 title run. Eight years later, the 35-year-old all-rounder returns to Balkh as a Gold pick for APL 2026-27.
Naib joins Balkh Zwanan as a Gold pick of the 2026 draft, signed at the player draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026 for a reported $40,000. He is a 35-year-old all-rounder with 89 ODIs and 87 T20Is behind him, a former Afghanistan captain at a World Cup, and one of the few players in the 2026 draft who has already won this league.
He is one of the few 2026 players with an APL past. In the inaugural season in 2018 he played all nine matches for Balkh Legends, the side that beat Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the Sharjah final. That was a different club — Balkh Zwanan do not inherit the title — but Naib carries the experience of a title run in this very competition, through a World Cup campaign and an Asian Games final.
Balkh are captained by Ibrahim Zadran and coached by Mickey Arthur, with Tillakaratne Dilshan as mentor, and Naib gives them something a new squad needs most: a senior head who has been through it all. He bats in the middle order and bowls right-arm fast-medium — the same two jobs he did for Legends in 2018.
Role, style and draft pick
All-rounder — right-hand middle-order batter, right-arm fast-medium bowler.
| Detail | Gulbadin Naib |
|---|---|
| Role | All-rounder |
| Batting | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Born | 4 June 1991, Logar |
| Draft | Gold — $40,000 |
| APL debut | 2018, Balkh Legends (title) |
Captain: Ibrahim Zadran. Head coach: Mickey Arthur. Mentor: Tillakaratne Dilshan.
APL 2026-27 numbers — none yet
The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026, so no APL 2026-27 figures exist for any player yet — not for Gulbadin Naib, and not for anyone else in the league.
Naib played all nine matches for Balkh Legends in 2018 and won the title — the only APL title of his career so far. Detailed 2018 batting and bowling figures for him are not verified here, so they are not listed. His 2026-27 figures will come after the season starts on 27 December 2026.
Where he fits at Balkh Zwanan
Naib’s role at Balkh Zwanan is the one no stat measures: the senior player in a dressing room full of strangers. Nineteen players who have never played together, eight league matches to become a team, and a captain in Ibrahim Zadran who already runs a national side — Naib is the man Arthur turns to when the plan needs a calm head in the middle overs, with bat or ball.
On the field, he is the third all-rounder in a deep group with Moeen Ali and Colin Ackermann, which lets Arthur balance the side without weakening either the batting or the bowling. The top four reach the playoffs from five teams, and the final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. APL Schedule will carry Balkh’s dates once the Afghanistan Cricket Board publishes the fixture list, and the season in full is on APL T20.
Frequently asked questions
Did Gulbadin Naib win the APL in 2018?
Yes. He played all nine matches for Balkh Legends in the inaugural season and won the title, beating Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the Sharjah final.
Does that title belong to Balkh Zwanan?
No. Balkh Legends were a different club. Balkh Zwanan are a new side and start APL 2026-27 with a blank record — but Naib and Qais Ahmad both played for Legends in 2018.
What is Gulbadin Naib’s role at Balkh Zwanan?
All-rounder — a right-hand middle-order batter and right-arm fast-medium bowler, signed as a Gold pick for a reported $40,000.
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