Eight wickets in 2018 — and a second chance in 2026
Muslim Musa was born on 15 January 1997 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. He is a right-arm medium bowler who bats right-handed, and he joins Kandahar Warriors for APL 2026-27 as a Silver pick from the player draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026, for a reported US$20,000.
He is one of the few players from the first APL season who are back for the revival. In 2018 he played for Kabul Zwanan — not Balkh, and every scorecard from that season has him batting and bowling for Kabul. He played eight of Kabul’s ten matches and bowled in every one of them, taking eight wickets in 20 overs at an average of 27.38, with a best of two for 17.
His tournament opened on the first night, 5 October 2018, against Paktia Panthers. Chasing 219, Kabul were 136 for 5 when Musa walked in, and he hit 17 off 7 balls — two sixes off Shahid Afridi — before he was run out. He scored 51 runs in seven innings that season, four times unbeaten, at a strike rate of 145.71.
He played both the semi-final and the final as Kabul finished runners-up, beaten by Balkh Legends by four wickets on 21 October 2018. Eight years later he returns to the league in different colours, with a different captain — Rashid Khan, who captained that Kabul side in 2018 — and the same job: bowl honest overs and hit the ball hard.
Muslim Musa in numbers
The season has not started, so there are no APL 2026-27 numbers for Muslim Musa yet. The first ball is on Sunday 27 December 2026, and his figures for this season will be added here after Match 1.
His 2018 record is the baseline: eight wickets in eight matches for Kabul Zwanan, best of 2 for 17 in the semi-final against Paktia Panthers, and 51 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 145.71. A repeat of that return would make him one of Kandahar’s most reliable squad bowlers.
| Season | Wickets | Runs | Best bowling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APL | 2018 | 8 | 51 | 2/17 |
| APL | 2026-27 | — | — | — |
2018 figures from the Sharjah season, 5–21 October 2018, for Kabul Zwanan. The 2026-27 row stays blank until the season starts on 27 December 2026.
The squad bowler who knows the league
Musa’s role in this squad is the unglamorous one: bowl in the middle overs, keep the runs down, and be ready when a seamer is injured or out of form. Kandahar’s headline quicks are Amir and Mills, but a five-team league with eight matches per side is won by squads, not by XIs — and Musa is the kind of squad player who plays six games and wins two of them quietly.
His batting is a bonus Ravi Bopara will use. Fifty-one runs at a strike rate of 145.71 in 2018, including two sixes off Shahid Afridi on the first night, says he is not a bowler who holds a bat — he is a lower-order hitter who can change a total in ten balls.
The APL is back after eight years, and Musa is one of the few men in it who played the first season. That experience — the Sharjah nights, the final defeat, the long wait — is worth more than any net session, and Kandahar bought it for a Silver price.
Frequently asked questions
What is Muslim Musa’s role for Kandahar Warriors?
Bowler. He bowls right-arm medium and bats right-handed, and he was picked in the Silver category at the draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026.
Did Muslim Musa play in APL 2018?
Yes — for Kabul Zwanan, not Balkh. He took eight wickets in eight matches, with a best of 2 for 17 in the semi-final against Paktia Panthers, and scored 51 runs.
Has Muslim Musa played any APL 2026-27 matches yet?
No. The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026 in the UAE, so no APL 2026-27 stats exist yet for any player.