The senior Afghan all-rounder
Naib is a right-handed middle-order batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler who has been part of Afghanistan's rise from Associate cricket to the top table. He captained Afghanistan at the 2019 World Cup and was a key member of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
His T20 game is built on versatility: he can bat anywhere from five to eight, bowl in the powerplay or at the death, and field anywhere. The Knight Riders paid $75,000 for him at the Season 5 auction — the second-highest Afghan price in their squad — and he is one of four Afghans in the side, which matters with two required in every playing eleven. In a squad full of big names, Naib is the cricketer who does the jobs nobody else wants to do.
| Profile | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | All-rounder |
| Team | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders |
| Batting | Right-handed bat |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Born | 16 March 1991, Afghanistan |
Career so far
Naib made his Afghanistan debut in 2011 and has played more than 100 T20Is, along with 80-plus ODIs. He captained his country at the 2019 World Cup in England, and his 2024 T20 World Cup was a career highlight: he took 4 for 20 against Australia in the Super Eight win that sent Afghanistan to the semi-finals.
He has played franchise cricket around the world — in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Lanka Premier League, the Caribbean Premier League and the ILT20 — and his all-round numbers in T20 cricket are consistently strong: over 2,000 runs and more than 100 wickets in the format. At 35, he is no longer the future of Afghan cricket; he is its memory, and the Knight Riders are buying that experience.
The all-round group around him
The Knight Riders are stacked with all-rounders. Jason Holder captains the side, Moeen Ali is one of the great T20 all-rounders of his generation, Sunil Narine opens the bowling and the batting, and Naib is the fourth member of that group.
That depth is the side's greatest strength — and its selection headache. Naib's edge is his seam bowling: on Abu Dhabi surfaces, where the Knight Riders play six of their ten league games, a medium-fast bowler who can swing the new ball and hit the deck at the death is worth his weight. If the Knight Riders need balance, Naib is the man who gives it to them.
What’s next
Naib's season starts on 22 November against Dubai Capitals, and the Knight Riders' first home game follows against MI Emirates on 26 November in Abu Dhabi. The full list of every ILT20 fixture is on the ILT20 Schedule.
- Match 3 — Dubai Capitals: Sunday 22 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
- Match 7 — MI Emirates: Thursday 26 November 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
- Match 11 — Sharjah Warriorz: Sunday 29 November 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
- Match 13 — MI Emirates: Monday 30 November 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
- Match 15 — Desert Vipers: Wednesday 2 December 2026, afternoon session, Abu Dhabi.
- Match 17 — Gulf Giants: Thursday 3 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
- Match 19 — Gulf Giants: Saturday 5 December 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
- Match 24 — Sharjah Warriorz: Wednesday 9 December 2026, evening session, Sharjah.
- Match 27 — Desert Vipers: Saturday 12 December 2026, evening session, Dubai.
- Match 30 — Dubai Capitals: Monday 14 December 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.
- Playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 16 December, the Eliminator on Wednesday 17 December, Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December, and the final on Sunday 20 December in Dubai.
Follow every ILT20 result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.
Frequently asked questions
Has Gulbadin Naib captained Afghanistan?
Yes. He captained Afghanistan at the 2019 World Cup, and he was part of the side that reached the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals.
What is Gulbadin Naib's role for the Knight Riders?
Seam-bowling all-rounder — right-handed middle-order batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler.
When is the Knight Riders' first match of ILT20 Season 5?
Naib's first game for the Knight Riders comes on match 3 against Dubai Capitals on Sunday 22 November 2026, in the evening session in Dubai.