Afghan Icon · Captain
Rahmat Shah Zurmatai
Top-order batter · Afghanistan
Nangarhar Cosmic Squad 2026
Rahmat Shah (Icon) leads. Drafted Alex Hales, Shakib Al Hasan, Kamindu Mendis and Zahir Khan. Coach Toby Radford.
Nangarhar Cosmic is the Nangarhar franchise for 2026–27. The badge was announced later than the first three clubs. Toby Radford is head coach and Mark Boucher is mentor, matching the leaders' draft assignments reported by ESPNcricinfo.
The captain is the line that changed. Through late October, Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the name attached to Nangarhar and Rahmat Shah to Paktia. On 3 November 2026 the Afghanistan Cricket Board said the technical committee, with agreement from the franchise owners and the captains, had switched them: Rahmat Shah leads Nangarhar, Gurbaz leads Paktia. The board tied the change to draft regulations. This page follows that announcement, not the earlier graphic.
Quick Facts
- City
- Nangarhar
- Captain
- Rahmat Shah
- Head coach
- Toby Radford
- Mentor
- Mark Boucher
- Debut season
- 2026–27
- Titles
- None yet
- Home ground
- UAE venue to be confirmed
- Owner
- Not formally announced
- Squad size
- 19 players
Nangarhar Cosmic key players 2026
Platinum
Alex Hales
Opening batter · England
Diamond
Darwish Rasooli
Batter · Afghanistan
Diamond
Shakib Al Hasan
All-rounder · Bangladesh
Nangarhar Cosmic full squad 2026
19 players, ACB draft release, 3 November 2026. Players are grouped by draft category, in draft order.
Afghan Icon
Top-order batter
Rahmat Shah Zurmatai
Platinum
Opening batter · England
Alex Hales
Diamond
Batter
Darwish Rasooli
All-rounder · Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan
Gold
Sri Lanka
Kamindu Mendis
Afghanistan
Ziawrahman Sharifi
Afghanistan
Mohammad Akram Zazai
Afghanistan
Ikram Alikhil
UAE
Junaid Siddique
Silver
Afghanistan
Zahir Khan Pakten
Afghanistan
Ismatullah Alam
Afghanistan
Mohammad Yamin Ahmadzai
West Indies
Amir Jangoo
Afghanistan
Shafiqullah Ghafari
Emerging
Supplementary
Afghanistan
Aftab Alam
Afghanistan
Zubairullah Akbari
Nangarhar Cosmic overseas signings 2026
Alex Hales (England), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Junaid Siddique (UAE), Amir Jangoo (West Indies).
Nangarhar Cosmic Fixtures 2026
Nangarhar Cosmic record
Played 0, won 0. Nangarhar Cosmic is a new franchise and starts the 2026 season with no APL record. The 2018 side from Nangarhar was a different club; its results stay with that club.
Nangarhar Cosmic won both the Silver game and the Emerging game at the APL Huddle, so they hold the first pick in the opening round of each of those categories. That is a useful place to build a middle order and a local core. It does not tell us the names.
In 2018 the Nangarhar Leopards reached a semi-final and were bowled out for 64 by Balkh Legends. That side is not this side. Cosmic begins with no completed APL match.
Nangarhar Cosmic coaching staff 2026
- Head coach
- Toby Radford
- Mentor
- Mark Boucher
- Captain (Afghan Icon)
- Rahmat Shah
Nangarhar Cosmic latest news
APL 2026 Draft Results: Amir First Pick, 90 Players Picked
Ninety players, 18 rounds, six categories. Kandahar Warriors opened with Muhammad Amir; Nangarhar Cosmic opened Silver and Emerging.
APL 2026 Squads Confirmed: All Five 19-Player Teams
Rashid has Amir and Nabi. Zadran has Moeen. Gurbaz has Hasaranga and Noor. A team-by-team read of the official lists.
What Is the Afghanistan Premier League? APL Explained
Five city teams, a December start in the UAE, and one finished season back in 2018. The rest is still being written.
Frequently asked questions
Who is in the Nangarhar Cosmic squad?
19 players, led by Rahmat Shah. Headline picks: Alex Hales (England), Darwish Rasooli, Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh). Source: ACB draft release, 3 November 2026.
Is Nangarhar Cosmic the same club as the 2018 side from Nangarhar?
No. The city is shared. The franchise, the badge and the results are not. Titles stay with the club that won them.
Where do they play?
In the UAE at ICC-approved venues. Specific grounds had not been announced as of 4 November 2026.
Last updated 3 November 2026, 16:20 GST