Ijaz Ahmadzai, the 23-year-old Afghanistan all-rounder who smashed two fifties in two innings against Zimbabwe in October 2026, is Paktia's first Gold pick for APL T20 2026.
Team
Paktia
Category
Gold
Role
Batting all-rounder
T20Is
7 matches, 145 runs
52
Highest T20I score, vs Zimbabwe, Sharjah 2026
20
Balls for his fastest fifty — joint-fastest for Afghanistan
Ijaz Ahmadzai was not there the first time round. He was 15 when the inaugural
APL season was played in Sharjah in October 2018, and his name appears in none
of the five squads of that season. The 2026 season is his APL debut, eight
years later — and he arrives as a player Paktia clearly wanted: the franchise
took him as the first pick of the Gold round at the player draft in Dubai on
3 November 2026, for a reported US$40,000, ahead of Farmanullah Safi, Colin
Munro, David Wiese and Hashmatullah Shahidi. He joins a side captained by
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, coached by Azhar Mahmood and mentored by Waqar Younis, with
the season starting on 27 December 2026 in the UAE and the fixture list still
to be confirmed.
He also arrives at the draft in the form of his life. Days before the squads
were picked, in Afghanistan's home T20I series against Zimbabwe at Sharjah, he
made two fifties in two innings — 52 off 22 balls on 27 October, reaching fifty
off 20 balls, and 52 off 27 on 29 October. The first of those is the
joint-fastest T20I fifty ever made by an Afghan, level with Azmatullah Omarzai
and Mohammad Nabi. Both innings came with Afghanistan in trouble — 66 for 5 in
the first match, 38 for 5 in the second — and both ended in wins. It was his
first international cricket in almost a year, and it announced him, at 23, as
a finisher who does his best work when a game is slipping away.
For Paktia, the signing fills the young Afghan middle-order slot. Gurbaz gives
the side its power at the top, Wanindu Hasaranga its world-class spin, and
Munro and Wiese their overseas experience; what Ahmadzai offers is a
23-year-old who bats in the lower middle order, scores quickly, and can offer
a few overs of right-arm medium when the captain needs them. His List A
average of 38.16 shows he can build an innings as well as finish one, and his
domestic T20 strike rate of 138.88 — 174.19 at the 2026 Shpageeza — shows the
tempo he brings. If the Zimbabwe series was a glimpse, Paktia will hope the
APL is where the rest of the world meets him.
APL career stats
The 2026 season has not started, so the rows below will fill in once the first
ball is bowled on 27 December 2026. Ahmadzai has no APL figures from 2018 —
he did not play in the first season.
52 off 22 vs Zimbabwe — the joint-fastest fifty in Afghanistan's T20I history
T20I series vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I · Sharjah Cricket Stadium · 27 October 2026
Afghanistan were 66 for 5 in the 12th over when Ahmadzai walked in at number
seven, and the innings was going nowhere. He changed it in a hurry: four
fours and four sixes, a fifty off 20 balls, and 52 off 22 in all at a strike
rate of 236.36. He added 57 for the sixth wicket with Shahidullah, who made
46 off 42, and Afghanistan reached 177 before bowling Zimbabwe out for 140
to win by 37 runs. It was his first international match in almost a year,
and his maiden T20I fifty — and it put him level with Azmatullah Omarzai and
Mohammad Nabi for the fastest T20I fifty ever made by an Afghan.
Why it mattered: a comeback innings that rescued a collapsing
side and wrote his name into Afghanistan's record book in the same evening.
52 off 27 vs Zimbabwe — the 142-run rescue with Omarzai
T20I series vs Zimbabwe, 2nd T20I · Sharjah Cricket Stadium · 29 October 2026
Two days later he did it again, from an even worse position. Afghanistan were
38 for 5 — 5 for 4 at one point — when Ahmadzai joined Azmatullah Omarzai,
and the pair added 142 runs off 59 balls for the sixth wicket. Omarzai made
116 off 50, his maiden T20I hundred, and Ahmadzai made 52 off 27, reaching
fifty off 26 balls, before falling in the 19th over. Afghanistan posted 221
for 7 and won by 19 runs, despite Sikandar Raza's unbeaten 106, to seal the
series with a match to spare. Ahmadzai also bowled his only over at
international level in this match, for 16 runs.
Why it mattered: two fifties in two innings, both from
collapses, both in wins — the series that turned a fringe player into a name
Paktia spent their first Gold pick on.
79 not out vs Speenghar Region — player of the match in the one-day cup
Ghazi Amanullah Khan One Day Tournament · 19 May 2026
In the 2026 Ghazi Amanullah Khan One Day Tournament, Ahmadzai played for
Band-e-Amir Region and produced the innings of his List A season: an
unbeaten 79 off 52 balls against Speenghar Region, carrying his side to 277
for 4 in a 76-run win, and the player-of-the-match award. It was the second
of three strong knocks in the tournament — he had made 75 off 38 against
Mis Ainak Region two days earlier in a six-run win — and it showed the other
side of his batting: not just the late-order hitting of the Zimbabwe series,
but an innings built at better than a run a ball in a 50-over game.
Why it mattered: proof that the power is backed by a List A
average of 38.16 — he can build an innings, not only finish one.
64 not out vs Boost Defenders — a Shpageeza statement
Shpageeza Cricket League 2026 · Rahmat Wali Masroor Cricket Stadium, Khost · 4 July 2026
Playing for Speen Ghar Tigers in the 2026 Shpageeza Cricket League, Ahmadzai
made an unbeaten 64 off 27 balls against Boost Defenders as his side piled
up 219 for 6 and won by 59 runs. It was the biggest knock of a tournament in
which he scored 162 runs in 93 balls at a strike rate of 174.19, with 14
sixes — and it came in a side that went all the way to the final, where Amo
Sharks beat them by seven wickets. He made 14 off 8 in that final, but the
tournament belonged to the 64 not out: the clearest domestic evidence of the
tempo he would show against Zimbabwe three months later.
Why it mattered: the domestic innings that best predicts his
APL value — quick runs, at the death, in a winning side.
T20I debut vs Ireland — the first cap
T20I series vs Ireland, 1st T20I · Sharjah Cricket Stadium · 15 March 2024
Ahmadzai's first cap came at 20, against Ireland at Sharjah on 15 March 2024
— cap number 57 for Afghanistan. He made 16 off 17 balls in a match
Afghanistan won, and played the other two games of the series, making 9 and
10. It was a quiet start: three matches, 35 runs, and then a long wait. His
next T20I did not come until November 2025, against Qatar, and his next
after that was the Zimbabwe series in October 2026. The debut itself was
unremarkable; what matters is what it began — a slow-burning international
career that caught fire two and a half years later.
Why it mattered: the first step on a path that took him from
a 20-year-old debutant to the joint-fastest fifty in his country's history.
Playing style and strengths
Ahmadzai is a lower-middle-order batter who scores quickly. He bats at number
seven for Afghanistan, the finisher's slot, and his two Zimbabwe fifties show
what he does there: he walks in with the innings in trouble and changes its
tempo, hitting sixes from the start rather than settling in. Across those two
innings his strike rate was 212.24; at the 2026 Shpageeza he struck 14 sixes
in 93 balls. The power is real, and it is the first thing a team notices.
What makes him more than a hitter is that he can also build an innings. His
List A average of 38.16, with a hundred and five fifties in 27 matches, and
the unbeaten 79 off 52 balls in the 2026 one-day tournament, show a batter who
can bat through a 50-over innings when the situation asks for it. In first-class
cricket he has two hundreds, with a best of 110 not out. He is right-handed,
and — for a finisher — unusually patient about which ball to hit:
both Zimbabwe fifties were built on picking the right deliveries rather than
swinging at everything.
With the ball he is an occasional option rather than a frontline bowler. He
bowls right-arm medium, and his international workload so far is a single over
— 16 runs against Zimbabwe on 29 October 2026. In domestic cricket he has
taken five List A wickets and six first-class wickets, with best figures of 2
for 3 and 3 for 31 respectively. For Paktia that makes him a useful sixth or
seventh bowling option, not a reason to pick him; the reason to pick him is the
bat. He is also a safe catcher, holding chances in the deep in domestic cricket,
including two in the 2026 Shpageeza.
Records and milestones
Joint-fastest T20I fifty for Afghanistan: 20 balls, against Zimbabwe at Sharjah on 27 October 2026 — level with Azmatullah Omarzai (vs Hong Kong, 2025) and Mohammad Nabi (vs Sri Lanka, 2025).
Two consecutive T20I fifties, 52 and 52, against Zimbabwe in October 2026, at a combined strike rate of 212.24.
T20I debut on 15 March 2024 vs Ireland at Sharjah (cap 57); 7 T20Is, 145 runs at 24.17, with a highest score of 52 and two fifties.
Only List A hundred: 117 against Boost Region; List A average 38.16 in 27 matches, with five fifties.
First-class best of 110 not out against Mahipar Stars; two hundreds in 18 matches at 28.61.
Domestic T20 best of 83 against Band-e-Amir Region; 1,018 runs in 58 matches at a strike rate of 138.88.
Shpageeza Cricket League 2026: 162 runs at a strike rate of 174.19 for runners-up Speen Ghar Tigers, including 64 not out off 27 balls against Boost Defenders.
Ghazi Amanullah Khan One Day Tournament 2026: 190 runs for Band-e-Amir Region, including 79 not out (player of the match) against Speenghar Region.
Named in Afghanistan's squad for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup; Youth ODI best of 86 not out against India Under-19.
First Gold pick for Paktia in 2026 — his APL debut, eight years after the first season, for a reported US$40,000.
Career outside APL
Ijaz Ahmadzai was born in Kabul on 25 June 2003, and his first taste of the
wider cricket world came as a teenager. He was named in Afghanistan's squad for
the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, where he
made 39 off 48 against Pakistan Under-19 and 23 off 37 against Zimbabwe
Under-19, and his Youth ODI best is an unbeaten 86 against India Under-19.
His domestic debuts followed in quick succession — List A for Hindukush Stars
against Pamir Legends in the Green Afghanistan One Day Cup on 18 May 2022,
Twenty20 for Kabul Eagles against Hindukush Stars in the Shpageeza Cricket
League on 30 July 2022, and first-class for Boost Defenders against Mis Ainak
Knights in the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament on 14 October 2022.
International cricket arrived at 20. He was handed a T20I debut against Ireland
at Sharjah on 15 March 2024 — cap 57 — and played all three matches of that
series, making 16, 9 and 10. Then came the wait: his next T20I was not until
November 2025, against Qatar, when he made 6 off 19, and he was not in
Afghanistan's squad for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Almost a year after
the Qatar match, he returned for the home T20I series against Zimbabwe at
Sharjah in October 2026 and produced the two innings that changed his career:
52 off 22 in the first match, from 66 for 5, and 52 off 27 in the second, from
38 for 5, in a 142-run stand with Azmatullah Omarzai. Afghanistan swept the
series 3–0, and Ahmadzai finished it with 145 runs in seven T20Is at 24.17.
He has not played Test or ODI cricket. He was not named in Afghanistan's Test
squad for the two-match series against Zimbabwe in November 2026 — his part in
that tour was the T20I series — and his Test debut, if it comes, will be a new
step. The 1st Test at Sharjah, which began on 5 November 2026, was played
without him, and the figures on this page are dated to completed matches only.
At home, 2026 was his best domestic season. In the Ghazi Amanullah Khan One
Day Tournament he scored 190 runs for Band-e-Amir Region, with 75 off 38
against Mis Ainak Region and the unbeaten 79 against Speenghar Region, and in
the Shpageeza Cricket League he scored 162 runs for Speen Ghar Tigers, who
reached the final before losing to Amo Sharks. He also scored 197 runs in the
2026 Afghanistan National T20 Cup. His domestic sides include Kabul Eagles,
Boost Defenders, Speen Ghar Tigers, Band-e-Amir Region, Amo Region, Boost
Region, Pamir Legends, Hindukush Strikers, Maiwand Champions, Shaheen Hunters
and Ajman Bolts.
The career figures, current to 5 November 2026, stand at seven T20Is with 145
runs at 24.17 and a highest score of 52, and no Tests or ODIs. In domestic
cricket he has 887 first-class runs at 28.61 with two hundreds, 725 List A
runs at 38.16 with one hundred, and 1,018 domestic T20 runs at 26.10 with a
best of 83. With the ball he is an occasional option: five List A wickets at
49.00 with best figures of 2 for 3, six first-class wickets at 23.17 with best
figures of 3 for 31, and a single over at international level. He arrives at
the APL as a 23-year-old who has just had the best month of his career — and
Paktia's first Gold pick.
Which team does Ijaz Ahmadzai play for in APL 2026?
Ijaz Ahmadzai plays for Paktia in APL T20 2026. He was the first pick of the Gold round at the player draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026, for a reported US$40,000. Paktia are captained by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, coached by Azhar Mahmood and mentored by Waqar Younis, and the season starts on 27 December 2026 in the UAE.
Did Ijaz Ahmadzai play in the first APL season in 2018?
No. He was 15 when the first APL season was played in Sharjah in October 2018, and his name appears in none of the five squads. The 2026 season is his APL debut, eight years later, this time in Paktia colours after being taken as the franchise's first Gold pick.
What is Ijaz Ahmadzai's fastest international innings?
His 52 off 22 balls against Zimbabwe at Sharjah on 27 October 2026. Batting at number seven, he reached fifty off 20 balls — the joint-fastest T20I fifty by an Afghan, level with Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan were 66 for 5 when he walked in, and they went on to win by 37 runs.
Has Ijaz Ahmadzai played Test or ODI cricket?
Not yet. He has played seven T20Is for Afghanistan and no Tests or ODIs. He was not in the Test squad for the two-match series against Zimbabwe in November 2026, and his part in that tour was the T20I series, where he made two fifties in two innings. A Test debut would be a new step for him.
What are Ijaz Ahmadzai's international numbers?
In seven T20Is he has scored 145 runs at 24.17, with a highest score of 52 and two fifties, at a strike rate of 145.00. He has bowled just one over at international level, for 16 runs without a wicket. In domestic cricket he averages 38.16 in List A and 28.61 in first-class cricket, with a best of 117 in List A.
