2018 Afghanistan Premier League
 Official logo of 2018 APL | |
| Dates | 5 October – 21 October |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| Tournament format(s) | Double round-robin and Playoffs |
| Host |  United Arab Emirates |
| Champions | Balkh Legends (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Kabul Zwanan |
| Participants | 5 |
| Matches | 23 |
| Player of the series | Rashid Khan (Kabul Zwanan) |
| Most runs | Mohammad Shahzad (344) |
| Most wickets | Isuru Udana (17) |
The 2018 Afghanistan Premier League (also known as APL 2018 or Gulbahar APL T20 2018 for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the inaugural and only edition of the old Afghanistan Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).[2] The tournament took place from 5 to 21 October 2018 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.[3]
Balkh Legends defeated Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the final to become the inaugural champions.[4] Rashid Khan was named the Player of the Tournament.[5]
Background
The tournament was established by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in 2018. In August 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved plans for the tournament.[2] Due to security concerns in Afghanistan, the ACB decided to host the inaugural edition in the United Arab Emirates. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium was selected as the sole venue for the matches.[3]
The Gulbahar Group was confirmed as the title sponsor, leading the league to be officially named the Gulbahar Afghanistan Premier League.[1]
Auctions and personnel signings
The player draft for the inaugural season was held on 10 September 2018 in Dubai.[6] Over 350 players from across the globe were included in the draft pool.[7]
The franchises operated with a salary cap between US$555,000 and US$700,000 to secure a squad of 17 to 20 players.[8] Players were categorized into five tiers: Icon, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging.[9]
Salary brackets
- Icon Players: US$100,000
- Diamond: US$75,000 (Overseas) / US$60,000 (Local)
- Gold: US$50,000 (Overseas) / US$40,000 (Local)
- Silver: US$30,000 (Overseas) / US$20,000 (Local)
- ICC Associate: US$15,000
- Emerging: US$10,000
Marquee signings
Five "Icon Players" were selected by the franchises during the draft:
- Balkh Legends:
Chris Gayle[9] - Kabul Zwanan:
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Rashid Khan[9] - Kandahar Knights:
Brendon McCullum[7] - Nangarhar Leopards: Andre Russell[9]
- Paktia Panthers:
Shahid Afridi[8]
Player participation
The league involved up to forty overseas players, though several boards denied permissions.[10] The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced it would not issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to active Pakistani players for the tournament.[11] Similarly, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) denied NOCs to players like Soumya Sarkar, preventing them from joining their respective franchises.[12]
Squads
The following squads were finalized on 10th September 2018.[13][6]
| Balkh Legends | Kabul Zwanan | Kandahar Knights | Nangarhar Leopards | Paktia Panthers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | |||||
.svg.png){kind=small} Simon Helmot |
 Heath Streak |
 Kabir Ali |
 Venkatesh Prasad |
Dawlat Ahmadzai | |
| Squad | |||||
Venue
All matches were held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.[3]
| Sharjah, UAE |
Cricket Venue of APL in Emirate of Sharjah |
|---|---|
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium
| |
| Capacity: 16,000 | |
| Matches: 19 |
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balkh Legends (C) | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0.782 | Advance to Semifinal 1 |
| 2 | Paktia Panthers | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0.144 | |
| 3 | Kabul Zwanan (R) | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | −0.070 | Advance to Semifinal 2 |
| 4 | Nangarhar Leopards | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | −0.582 | |
| 5 | Kandahar Knights | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | −0.226 | Eliminated |
League stage
The fixture was released in September 2018.[14]
Paktia Panthers 218/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Kabul Zwanan 220/7 (19.1 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to field.
- Zahir Shehzad (Kabul Zwanan) made his T20 debut.
Kandahar Knights 139/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 142/4 (18.3 overs) |
- Kandahar Knights won the toss and elected to bat.
- Waqar Salamkheil (Kandahar Knights) made his T20 debut.
- Ben Cutting (Nangarhar Leopards) took a hat-trick.
Kabul Zwanan 176/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Balkh Legends 177/2 (18.5 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to field.
Paktia Panthers 184/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 163/6 (20 overs) |
- Paktia Panthers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Paktia Panthers) made his T20 debut.
Balkh Legends 165/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Kandahar Knights 152/7 (20 overs) |
- Kandahar Knights won the toss and elected to field.
Nangarhar Leopards 188/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Kabul Zwanan 191/3 (17.5 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to field.
Paktia Panthers 204/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Balkh Legends 167 (19 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to field.
- Ziaur Rahman (Paktia Panthers) made his T20 debut.
Kabul Zwanan 173/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Kandahar Knights 171/7 (20 overs) |
- Kandahar Knights won the toss and elected to field.
Balkh Legends 143/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 118 (19.1 overs) |
- Nangarhar Leopards won the toss and elected to field.
Paktia Panthers 127 (18.2 overs) |
v |
Kandahar Knights 118 (19.4 overs) |
- Paktia Panthers won the toss and elected to bat.
Nangarhar Leopards 182/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Kabul Zwanan 167/9 (20 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to field.
Balkh Legends 195/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Paktia Panthers 106 (15.2 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to bat.
Kandahar Knights 136/8 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 110 (19.3 overs) |
- Kandahar Knights won the toss and elected to bat.
Balkh Legends 244/6 (20 overs) |
v |
Kabul Zwanan 223/7 (20 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to bat.
Nangarhar Leopards 126 (20 overs) |
v |
Paktia Panthers 129/3 (14.4 overs) |
- Nangarhar Leopards won the toss and elected to bat.
Kandahar Knights 152/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Kabul Zwanan 153/6 (19.1 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to field.
Balkh Legends 133/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 134/4 (18 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to bat.
Paktia Panthers 167/7 (20 overs) |
v |
Kandahar Knights 168/6 (20 overs) |
- Paktia Panthers won the toss and elected to bat.
Kandahar Knights 141/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Balkh Legends 142/4 (17.5 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to field.
- Samiullah (Balkh Legends) made his T20 debut.
Kabul Zwanan 168/4 (20 overs) |
v |
Paktia Panthers 172/4 (19.4 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to bat.
- Usman Adil (Kabul Zwanan) made his T20 debut.
Knockout stage
Bracket
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Balkh Legends | 235/5 (20 overs) | |||||||
| 4 | Nangarhar Leopards | 64 (13.1 overs) | |||||||
| SF1W | Balkh Legends | 138/6 (18.1 overs) | |||||||
| SF2W | Kabul Zwanan | 132/9 (20 overs) | |||||||
| 2 | Paktia Panthers | 102 (14.5 overs) | |||||||
| 3 | Kabul Zwanan | 192/9 (20 overs) | |||||||
Semifinal 1
Balkh Legends 235/5 (20 overs) |
v |
Nangarhar Leopards 64 (13.1 overs) |
- Balkh Legends won the toss and elected to bat.
Semifinal 2
Kabul Zwanan 192/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Paktia Panthers 102 (14.5 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to bat.
Final
Kabul Zwanan 132/9 (20 overs) |
v |
Balkh Legends 138/6 (18.1 overs) |
- Kabul Zwanan won the toss and elected to bat.
Statistics
Most runs
| Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Shahzad | Paktia Panthers | 344 |
| Hazratullah Zazai | Kabul Zwanan | 322 |
| Chris Gayle | Balkh Legends | 315 |
| Laurie Evans | Kabul Zwanan | 305 |
| Ryan ten Doeschate | Balkh Legends | 274 |
- Source: ESPNcricinfo
| Wickets | Player | Team | Inns. | Econ. | BBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Isuru Udana | Paktia Panthers | 8 | 7.65 | 4/38 |
| 16 | Sayed Shirzad | Kandahar Knights | 8 | 7.82 | 4/19 |
| 15 | Qais Ahmad | Balkh Legends | 9 | 6.26 | 5/18 |
| 14 | Mirwais Ashraf | Balkh Legends | 9 | 7.97 | 4/19 |
| 13 | Wayne Parnell | Kabul Zwanan | 10 | 8.96 | 3/35 |
- Source: ESPNcricinfo
Controversy and Anti-Corruption
The 2018 season was investigated by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). Afghan player Shafiqullah Shafaq was subsequently handed a six-year ban after admitting to match-fixing charges during the 2018 APL.[16] Additionally, icon player Mohammad Shahzad reported a spot-fixing approach to the ACU during the tournament's league phase.[17]
Broadcasting
The inaugural edition was broadcast live on the following channels and platforms:[18][19]
| Country/Region | Television | Internet |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | TOLO TV Lemar TV |
YouTube (Official Channel) |
| India | DSport | JioTV |
| Pakistan | Geo Super PTV Sports |
Geo Super App |
| United Kingdom | FreeSports | Premier Player |
| United States Canada |
Willow TV | Willow TV Online |
| Middle East North Africa |
OSN Sports | Wavo |
| South Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport Play |
| Rest of the World | None | YouTube |
References
- 1 2 "Gulbahar group confirmed as APL title sponsor". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- 1 2 "ICC approves plans for Afghanistan Premier League". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Sharjah to host Afghanistan T20 League from October 5". Gulf News. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ↑ "Balkh Legends are the winners of Afghan Premier League 2018". Khaama Press. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ↑ "Qais Ahmad, Chris Gayle lead Balkh Legends to inaugural APL title". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- 1 2 "Gayle, Afridi, Russell: icons in Afghanistan Premier League". ESPN Cricinfo. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- 1 2 Radley, Paul (4 October 2018). "Afghanistan Premier League: teams, players, fixtures, tickets and everything else you need to know". The National. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- 1 2 "Afghanistan T20 league draft completed, icon players capped at $100,000". SportzPower. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "Afghanistan Premier League: APL 2018 top players and complete squads". DNA India. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ↑ "Afghanistan Premier League slated for October 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ↑ "Pak cricketers ask PCB to issue NOC to play in APL". The Nation. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
- ↑ "Soumya, Mithun denied NOC for APL T20". Dhaka Tribune. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ↑ "Afghanistan Premier League (APL) 2018 – Fixtures, Squads and Match Info". Cricket World. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ↑ "Schedules & Results". APLT20. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ↑ Radley, Paul (21 October 2018). "Chris Gayle guides Balkh Legends to Afghanistan Premier League title". The National. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ↑ "Shafiqullah Shafaq banned for 6 years over APL corruption". Zee News. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "Shahzad reports spot-fixing approach". Rediff. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ "Where to watch Afghanistan Premier League 2018". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ↑ "APL 2018: Full list of broadcasters". CricketWorld. Retrieved 25 December 2025.