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Fixtures & Results
Fixtures not yet published by the ACB — first ball Sunday 27 December 2026, 5:30 PM AFT, UAE (grounds TBC).
No results yet — the season starts on 27 December 2026.
Stats & Records
APL 2026-27 · See All ›
Coming up
- First ballSun 27 Dec, 5:30 PM AFT UAE
- DraftDone 3 Nov 2026, Dubai
- FinalWed 20 Jan 2027 UAE
APL 2026-27
Team information
- Captain
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Coach
- Mickey Arthur
- Titles
- None yet
2026-27
Season so far
Balkh is the one city in the APL with a championship in its past, and Balkh Zwanan do not own it. The 2018 champions were Balkh Legends, who beat Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the Sharjah final. That was a different club. Zwanan carry the city name, not the trophy, and they start 2026-27 with a blank record: played 0, won 0.
What they do carry is the most experienced coach in the league. Mickey Arthur has coached Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa at international level, and he works with a captain who already runs a national side: Ibrahim Zadran is Afghanistan’s T20I captain. Between them, the dugout and the dressing room have seen most of what a T20 season can throw at a team.
The draft gave Arthur a side built from the top down. Balkh used the second pick of the Platinum round on England all-rounder Moeen Ali, then took Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Luke Wood in Diamond, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal and UAE captain Muhammad Waseem in Gold, and used their Wildcard on fast bowler Abdullah Ahmadzai. The last name in was Qais Ahmad, the player of the match in the 2018 final with 5 for 18 — the only man in this squad who has won an APL final, for a different club.
APL Schedule · APL Points Table · APL Results · Afghanistan Premier League
APL 2026-27
What to watch
The batting has three openers — Zadran, Atal and Waseem — and only two opening places, which is the kind of problem coaches like to have. Moeen Ali bats in the middle order and bowls off-spin, Gulbadin Naib does the same job with seam, and Colin Ackermann adds another all-round option. On paper, this is the deepest batting group in the league.
The spin is just as strong. Ghazanfar’s mystery spin, Qais Ahmad’s leg-breaks and Mohammad Waqar Salamkheil’s wrist spin give Arthur three different ways to take wickets in the middle overs, and Luke Wood’s left-arm pace leads the seam attack. The question is the same one every drafted side faces: nineteen players who have never played together, with eight league matches to become a team.
Watch Qais Ahmad. He took 15 wickets in the 2018 season — second only to Isuru Udana — and his 5 for 18 won the final for Balkh Legends. Eight years later he is back in Balkh colours, for a different club, and the city will expect him to do it again.
APL 2026-27
Balkh Zwanan squad
Nineteen players are verified for APL 2026-27, from the ACB draft release of 3 November 2026 in Dubai. Moeen Ali was the Platinum pick, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Luke Wood came in Diamond, and Abdullah Ahmadzai was the Gold Wildcard. Mickey Arthur is head coach, with Tillakaratne Dilshan as mentor.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran (Captain) | Batter |
| Moeen Ali | All-rounder |
| Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar | Bowler |
| Luke Wood | Bowler |
| Gulbadin Naib | All-rounder |
| Sediqullah Atal | Batter |
| Muhammad Waseem | Batter |
| Afsar Khan Zazai | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Abdullah Ahmadzai | Bowler |
| Thomas Moores | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Zia ur Rehman Akbar | Bowler |
| Abdullah Tarakhail | — |
| Colin Ackermann | All-rounder |
| Mohammad Waqar Salamkheil | Bowler |
| Salaam Khan Ahmadzai | — |
| Azizullah Miakhil | — |
| Abdul Aziz Khan | — |
| Qais Ahmad | Bowler |
| Christopher Wood | Bowler |
Squad verified against the ACB draft release, 3 November 2026, Dubai. Roles marked — are not stated in the release. Captain: Ibrahim Zadran. Head coach: Mickey Arthur. Mentor: Tillakaratne Dilshan.
2026-27
Points table
Five teams chase four playoff places, so one side goes home after the league stage. Each team plays eight league matches — every opponent twice — and a win is worth 2 points. Sixteen points is the maximum; four wins should be enough to stay in the race, and net run rate decides the ties. The table below is empty because the season has not started: every team begins on 0 points, and the first update comes after Match 1 on 27 December.
Balkh’s edge should be experience. Arthur has won tournaments with drafted squads before, Zadran already captains his country, and Moeen Ali has played in every major T20 league there is. If this side gels early, it can bank the wins that make the last week of the league stage comfortable. SialTV will update this page after every match day, through the final on 20 January 2027.
| # | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akcel United Kabul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | Balkh Zwanan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | Kandahar Warriors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Nangarhar Cosmic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 5 | Paktia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pre-season table — every team starts on 0 points. The first update comes after Match 1 on 27 December 2026.
APL
Frequently asked questions
Who captains Balkh Zwanan?
Ibrahim Zadran, the opener. He is also Afghanistan’s T20I captain, so Balkh’s leader already runs a national side.
Who coaches Balkh Zwanan?
Mickey Arthur is head coach, with Tillakaratne Dilshan as mentor. Arthur has coached Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa at international level.
Did Balkh win the APL in 2018?
No. Balkh Legends won the 2018 season, beating Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the final. That was a different club — Balkh Zwanan do not inherit the title. Qais Ahmad played in that final for Legends, taking 5 for 18.
When do Balkh Zwanan play their first match?
Their first match date has not been announced — the ACB has not published the full fixture list. The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026, and Balkh’s fixtures will be added here as soon as they are confirmed.
Points table
- No points yetThe season starts on 27 December 2026 every team begins on 0. APL Points Table fills in after Match 1.
Top Run Scorers
No runs yet — the season starts on 27 December 2026.
Top Wicket Takers
No wickets yet — the season starts on 27 December 2026.
More Afghanistan Premier League coverage
- APL Schedule Fixtures, dates and format.
- APL Points Table Standings and the playoff race.
- APL Results Every result, once the season starts.
- APL Live Scores The next match and live updates.
- APL Stats Top scorers, wicket takers and records.
- APL Tickets Availability and official channels.
- APL Teams All five teams, captains, coaches and squads.
- Afghanistan Premier League the season in full: schedule, teams, points table and where to watch.