ACB Opens Franchise Acquisition for APL T20 2026

The Afghanistan Cricket Board opened the franchise acquisition process for APL T20 2026 on 12 May 2026, in Kabul. ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf announced the move, and the dates that matter are already set: the request for proposal opens on 15 May, and proposals must be in by 30 June.

Five franchises are on offer, one for each of Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Paktia and Nangarhar. Those five are now Akcel United Kabul, Balkh Zwanan, Kandahar Warriors, Nangarhar Cosmic and Paktia, the names the league carries into the season.

At the time of the announcement, the tournament was placed in the UAE in the final quarter of 2026. That has since firmed up: the first match is on 27 December 2026.

One piece of wording needs care. The board described the 2026 season as the second edition. This site records 2018 as the only completed season, so "second edition" is the board's wording, not this site's count. Nothing was played between 2018 and 2026, which is why the wording matters.

The dates are the whole story for now. The request for proposal opens on 15 May, proposals close on 30 June, and the five regions are fixed. Who owns each franchise, and what the squads look like, comes after the deadline.