A left-hander who scores hundreds, not just starts
Sediqullah Atal is Balkh Zwanan’s left-hand opening batter for APL 2026-27 — a 25-year-old with three ODI hundreds already to his name, a maiden Test hundred in Abu Dhabi, and a Player of the Tournament award from the Emerging Teams Asia Cup. He was a Gold pick at the Dubai draft.
Atal 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. Balkh are captained by Ibrahim Zadran — the man Atal shared a record 231-run stand with against Ireland — and coached by Mickey Arthur, with Tillakaratne Dilshan as mentor, and the opener gives them exactly what a new side needs at the top of the order: a left-hander who scores hundreds, not just starts.
His record is built on big innings, not cameos. Three ODI hundreds, a maiden Test hundred in Abu Dhabi, and a Player of the Tournament award from the Emerging Teams Asia Cup — the kind of run that says a batter knows how to turn a start into a match-winning score. He made his T20I debut against Pakistan on 27 March 2023, and by the time of the draft he was an established part of Afghanistan’s top order.
He is new to this league. Atal was 17 when the first APL season was played in October 2018, and his T20 debut did not come until September 2020, so the 2026 season is his APL debut — eight years after the tournament began, and at the peak of a young career that is still climbing.
Role, style and draft pick
Batter — left-hand opening batter.
| Detail | Sediqullah Atal |
|---|---|
| Role | Batter (opener) |
| Batting | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling | — |
| Born | 12 August 2001, Logar |
| Draft | Gold — $40,000 |
| APL debut | 2026 (was 17 in 2018) |
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 Sediqullah Atal, and not for anyone else in the league.
There are no APL figures for Atal yet. The 2026-27 season has not started, and he did not play in the 2018 season — he was 17 at the time and his T20 debut did not come until September 2020. His first APL numbers will come after Balkh’s first match.
Where he fits at Balkh Zwanan
Atal’s job is the simplest in the squad and the hardest to do well: give Balkh Zwanan fast, big starts. Balkh have three openers — Zadran, Atal and Muhammad Waseem — and only two opening places, which is the kind of problem coaches like to have. Atal’s left hand matters too: paired with the right-handed Zadran, he gives the top order a left-right combination from the first ball.
If he converts starts the way he has in ODI cricket, Balkh’s middle order — Moeen Ali, Gulbadin Naib, Colin Ackermann — will bat with the pressure off. The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026 in the UAE, and the final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. APL Schedule will carry Balkh’s dates once the fixture list is published, and the season in full is on APL.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sediqullah Atal’s role at Balkh Zwanan?
Left-hand opening batter. He was a Gold pick at the draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026, signed for a reported $40,000.
How many ODI hundreds does Sediqullah Atal have?
Three ODI hundreds, plus a maiden Test hundred in Abu Dhabi. He also won Player of the Tournament at the Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Did Sediqullah Atal play in the 2018 APL?
No. He was 17 when the first season was played in October 2018, and his T20 debut did not come until September 2020 — so 2026-27 is his APL debut.
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