Khalid Ahmadzai — Wicketkeeper-batter
Khalid Ahmadzai is in the Akcel United Kabul squad for APL 2026-27 — a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, an Emerging pick at the Dubai draft, and one of the youngest players in the whole league.
Ahmadzai’s name reached a wider audience on 3 November 2026, when Akcel United Kabul picked him in the Emerging category at the APL player draft in Dubai. He is 19, born in Kabul on 16 March 2007, a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who has come through Afghanistan’s Under-19 setup and the country’s domestic youth teams.
His calling card so far is a highest Youth ODI score of 132 against UAE Under-19 in 2025 — the innings of a keeper who bats properly, not one who keeps first and hopes with the bat. His major teams so far are Afghanistan Under-19, the Pamir Legends, the Mis-e-Ainak Knights and the Maiwand Champions: a young career spent moving up Afghanistan’s age-group and domestic ladder, one rung at a time.
Kabul took him in the Emerging category for a reported US$10,000. He is the second wicketkeeper in the squad behind Johnson Charles, which is exactly the role a 19-year-old keeper needs: learn from a two-time World Cup winner, keep in the nets every day, and be ready when the chance comes. APL 2026-27 is his debut season in the league.
APL 2026-27 in numbers
The season has not started yet, so Khalid Ahmadzai has no APL 2026-27 numbers at all. The first ball is on Sunday 27 December 2026 at 5:30 PM Afghanistan time (5:00 PM Dubai time) in the UAE, and this page will carry his season figures from Match 1 onwards. Until then, the table below is honest: played 0, and everything else to be announced.
| Matches | Runs | Wickets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| APL 2026-27 | 0 | — | — |
What he brings into the season, in verified figures:
| Career mark | Figure |
|---|---|
| Highest Youth ODI score | 132 vs UAE Under-19, 2025 |
| Major teams | Afghanistan Under-19; Pamir Legends; Mis-e-Ainak Knights; Maiwand Champions |
| Draft category | Emerging — reported US$10,000 |
| APL debut season | 2026 |
Season figures are to be announced — the season starts on 27 December 2026. Career figures are from the verified player record.
Where he fits at Akcel United Kabul
Khalid Ahmadzai plays for Akcel United Kabul in APL 2026-27, captained by Azmatullah Omarzai and coached by Shane McDermott, with Nikhil Chopra as mentor. The squad of nineteen was set at the draft in Dubai on 3 November 2026 — 90 players picked from 462 across 18 rounds.
Ahmadzai is the reserve wicketkeeper behind Johnson Charles — and, at 19, the future of the position at Kabul. His season will be measured in the nets and in the chances he takes when they come, not in a guaranteed run of games. The season starts on Sunday 27 December 2026 in the UAE; Afghanistan Premier League 2026 will follow every Kabul match, with fixtures on the APL Schedule and the standings on the APL Points Table. The full squad is on the APL Players page.
Five teams chase four playoff places in a double round-robin, so every team plays eight league matches — each opponent twice — and one side goes home after the league stage. The final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Kabul are a new club with no APL record yet, and that is the point: everything this squad does in 2026-27 will be a first.
Frequently asked questions
What is Khalid Ahmadzai’s role at Akcel United Kabul?
Wicketkeeper-batter. The 19-year-old was an Emerging pick at the 3 November 2026 draft and is the reserve keeper behind Johnson Charles.
What is Khalid Ahmadzai’s best innings so far?
A highest Youth ODI score of 132 against UAE Under-19 in 2025, made for Afghanistan Under-19.
Has Khalid Ahmadzai played in the APL before?
No. APL 2026-27 is his debut season in the league.