New Delhi, Dec. 21 -- The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the launch of a new franchise-based T20 competition, the Afghanistan Premier League. The inaugural season of the tournament is expected to feature five teams and is likely to be held in the UAE around October 2026, as per ESPNcricinfo.

It is worth noting that the ACB had earlier introduced the Afghanistan Premier League in 2018, when only one season of the tournament was conducted. That edition, which also comprised five teams, saw several international stars such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Shahid Afridi take part. However, the league was later shelved following issues related to player payments and concerns over the competition's integrity.

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