Champions
APL champions
One final has been played. One side won it. Balkh Legends beat Kabul Zwanan in the 2018 final in Sharjah, and no other club has lifted an APL title since. The 2026 season, which starts on 27 December 2026, will decide the second name on this list.
APL champions list
Every APL final played so far, with the winning captain, the result, the venue and the player of the series. The list has one row because the league has held one completed season.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Winning captain | Final result | Final venue | Player of the series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Balkh Legends | Kabul Zwanan | Mohammad Nabi | Won by 4 wickets | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 21 October 2018 | Rashid Khan |
| 2026–27 | Not played | Not played | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
Titles by team
Balkh Legends are the only side with an APL title: one, won in 2018. No other club has won one, and no 2026 franchise carries a title into the new season.
| Team | Titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Balkh Legends | 1 | 2018 |
The 2018 final: Balkh Legends vs Kabul Zwanan
Kabul Zwanan won the toss and chose to bat in the final on 21 October 2018 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. They reached 132 for 9, with Javed Ahmadi top-scoring on 32, as Qais Ahmad took 5 for 18. Balkh Legends chased the target down with 138 for 6 in 18.1 overs, Chris Gayle finishing the job with 56 off 34 balls, despite Wayne Parnell taking 3 for 35, to win by 4 wickets. Qais Ahmad was named player of the match. The full scorecard trail, from the league stage to the final, is on the results page.
Balkh Legends: APL 2018 champions
Balkh Legends won six of eight league games and both of their knockout matches. That is dominance inside a sample of one season. It is not a five-year empire, and it is not a clue about Balkh Zwanan. Nabi’s side had Gayle, ten Doeschate and Qais Ahmad on the nights that mattered. The runner-up had the player of the series. Hold both facts. A champions page that only chants the winner is a smaller page.
The league stage ended with Balkh top on 12 points, and the semi-final was the most one-sided match of the season: 235 for 5 against Nangarhar Leopards’ 64 all out, a 171-run win. Mohammad Nabi captained the side, Chris Gayle scored 315 runs for the team across the season, and Qais Ahmad’s 5 for 18 in the final made him player of the match. The full season is on the 2018 season page and the Balkh Legends team page.
No other club has a title. Paktia Panthers had the runs and the wickets and a semi-final defeat. Knights had two wins. Leopards had a 64. The season page is the fairer portrait. This table is just the trophy column, which is allowed to be short.
The Koh-e-Zafar trophy
The winners lift the Koh-e-Zafar, unveiled at the Dubai launch ceremony in August 2026. It has not been lifted yet, because the 2026 season has not been played. Balkh Legends’ 2018 title predates the trophy, so the 2026 champions will be the first side to lift it.
The 2026 title race
Five teams will contest the 2026 season, which starts on 27 December 2026 in the UAE. Each side plays eight league matches in a double round-robin, the top four advance, and twenty league matches plus four knockout games make up the advertised 24-match season. The captains are Azmatullah Omarzai (Akcel United Kabul), Ibrahim Zadran (Balkh Zwanan), Rashid Khan (Kandahar Warriors), Rahmat Shah (Nangarhar Cosmic) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Paktia). The final date is still to be confirmed, and this page will be updated when the second champion is decided. Balkh Zwanan, one of the five 2026 franchises, is a new side and not the 2018 champions; the title stays with Balkh Legends. The schedule page and the format and rules page carry what is confirmed so far.
Conclusion
One name sits on the APL champions list: Balkh Legends, 2018. The Koh-e-Zafar trophy waits for its first lift, and the 2026 season will add the second name. Until then, the 2018 final in Sharjah is the whole history of this trophy column, and it is worth reading in full on the results page.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the first APL title?
Balkh Legends. They beat Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the final on 21 October 2018 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, chasing 132 for 9 with 138 for 6 in 18.1 overs. Qais Ahmad was named player of the match.
Who is the current APL champion?
Balkh Legends are still the only APL champions. The 2026 season starts on 27 December 2026, and its winner will become the second name on the champions list.
What is the APL trophy called?
The Koh-e-Zafar. It was unveiled at the Dubai launch ceremony in August 2026 and has not been lifted yet. The 2026 champions will be the first side to lift it.
When will the next APL champion be decided?
In the 2026 season. The final date is still to be confirmed, and the champions list on this page will be updated when the winner is decided.