Abdullah Tarakhail

Profile details

FULL NAME

Abdullah Tarakhail

PLAYING ROLE

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TEAMS

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

The seamer who arrives in form

Tarakhail is a right-arm medium-fast bowler who bats right-handed in the lower order, and his timing could hardly be better. He made his Afghanistan T20I debut in the final match against Zimbabwe at Sharjah on 1 November, returning 2 for 14 in three overs, and he comes to the ILT20 with 27 wickets in 24 domestic T20 games at an average of 25.14.

His best T20 figures, 5 for 30, came in domestic cricket, and his first-class batting average of 28.15 shows he is more than a tail-ender. In a Knight Riders attack built around Sunil Narine's spin and Jason Holder's experience, Tarakhail is the young seamer who can bowl in the powerplay and still hit the bat hard at the death. With two Afghan players required in every playing eleven, his debut form puts him right in the selection frame for the opener against Dubai Capitals on 22 November.

Career so far

Tarakhail came through Afghanistan's Under-19 system, playing against South Africa Under-19s in March 2019, and has played domestic cricket for Band-e-Amir Dragons, Boost Defenders and the Mis Ainak and Pamir regions.

His T20 record is built on wicket-taking rather than containment: 27 wickets in 24 domestic T20 matches, with two five-wicket hauls and a strike rate of a wicket every 17 balls. In the Shpageeza T20 tournament he has the third-best bowling strike rate in the competition's history, and in July 2026 he produced the best T20 figures ever recorded on Afghan soil, 5 for 32 for Band-e-Amir Dragons against Mis Ainak Knights. The T20I debut against Zimbabwe, ten days before the ILT20 season starts, was the natural next step — and the Knight Riders moved for him at the auction a month earlier.

The attack around him

The Knight Riders' bowling has a clear shape. Narine and Qais Ahmad run the middle overs with spin, Holder and Gulbadin Naib offer seam all-round options, and Usman Tariq adds off-spin — so Tarakhail's job is the new ball and the hard overs at the end.

That is a demanding brief for a 25-year-old in his first ILT20 season, but it is also the fastest way to a regular place. Six of the Knight Riders' ten league games are in Abu Dhabi, where the Zayed Cricket Stadium surface has often helped seamers early on, and the side plays MI Emirates twice in five days at the end of November. If Tarakhail holds his nerve in those games, the Knight Riders have found the young quick their attack has been missing.

What’s next

The Knight Riders open their season at home in Abu Dhabi, and their first ten days set the tone: Dubai Capitals first, then MI Emirates twice in five days. The full list of every ILT20 fixture is on the ILT20 Schedule.

• Match 3 — Dubai Capitals: Sunday 22 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 7 — MI Emirates: Thursday 26 November 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 11 — Sharjah Warriorz: Sunday 29 November 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 13 — MI Emirates: Monday 30 November 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 15 — Desert Vipers: Wednesday 2 December 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 17 — Gulf Giants: Thursday 3 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 19 — Gulf Giants: Saturday 5 December 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
• Match 24 — Sharjah Warriorz: Wednesday 9 December 2026, evening session, Sharjah.
• Match 27 — Desert Vipers: Saturday 12 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 30 — Dubai Capitals: Monday 14 December 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
• Playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 16 December, the Eliminator on Wednesday 17 December, Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December, and the final on Sunday 20 December in Dubai.

Follow every ILT20 result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.