The 2026 Kabul Premier League got underway in Kabul on Saturday, with Pamir Stars producing a dominant batting performance to defeat Shamshad Eagles by 116 runs in the opening match of the tournament.

The 20-over match was played at the Ayoubi Cricket Ground, where Shamshad Eagles won the toss and elected to field first.

Pamir Stars made the most of the opportunity, posting a formidable 307 for six from their 20 overs.

Abdul Malik led the way with a spectacular 117 from just 48 balls, while Haroon Khan added 59 from 29 deliveries to help Pamir Stars set a huge target.

Shamshad Eagles fought back with the bat but could only reach 191 for seven in their 20 overs, falling 116 runs short of the target.

Hayatullah top-scored for Shamshad Eagles with 55 from 35 balls, while Samiullah Shinwari contributed 40 from 27 deliveries.

Amir Zazai and Wakeel Ahmad took two wickets each for Pamir Stars, while Muslim Musa and Mohammad Gul Alizai claimed two wickets apiece for Shamshad Eagles.

Abdul Malik was named Player of the Match for his explosive century, giving Pamir Stars an emphatic start to their campaign.

The Kabul Premier League features six teams — Pamir Stars, Shamshad Eagles, Kabul Zalmi, Speenghar Warriors, Abaseen Defenders and Band-e-Amir. The tournament provides a platform for domestic players to compete at a high level and showcase their abilities.

All matches in the 2026 Kabul Premier League are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television, giving cricket fans across Afghanistan the opportunity to follow the tournament.

Afghanistan have secured direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup after beating Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI of their five-match series in Bready.

The victory confirmed Afghanistan’s place among the teams that will qualify directly for the 2027 tournament, removing the pressure from the remaining matches of the Ireland series.

Afghanistan join South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka among the teams that have secured their places at the 2027 World Cup.

South Africa and Zimbabwe qualify automatically as co-hosts, while the remaining teams earned their places through the ICC ODI ranking qualification process.

The first ODI between Afghanistan and Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain. Afghanistan then produced a convincing performance in the second match, winning by 92 runs and securing the result they needed to confirm their World Cup place.

The qualification is another major milestone for Afghanistan cricket, which has established itself as a regular presence at global ICC tournaments over the past decade.

The result also ended the West Indies’ hopes of securing one of the direct qualification places. Ireland, meanwhile, will have to take the longer route through the 10-team World Cup Qualifier.

Afghanistan and Ireland still have three ODIs remaining in the current series, with the third match scheduled for August 10, followed by the fourth on August 12 and the fifth on August 15.

With their World Cup place secured, Afghanistan can now approach the remaining matches without the pressure of qualification hanging over the team.

The 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Afghanistan face Ireland for the third of five matches tomorrow, Monday 10. 

Fans across Afghanistan can watch the match live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

For updates, schedules and news on the tour, fans can follow Ariana Television, and Ariana News’ social media pages.

Afghan-born cricketer Zainullah Ihsan is on the brink of making his Scotland ODI debut, completing an extraordinary journey from playing tape-ball cricket in Nangarhar to the international stage.

The 20-year-old fast bowler arrived in Glasgow as a refugee in 2022 following a difficult journey from Afghanistan through Europe. According to The National, he spoke almost no English when he arrived, knowing little more than “Hi” and “Hello”.

Originally from Nangarhar, Zainullah began his cricket journey playing tape-ball cricket in Afghanistan. Shortly after arriving in Scotland, a friend spotted his bowling ability and encouraged him to join a local cricket club.

He arrived in Scotland on June 1, 2022, and within two weeks was playing competitive cricket. In his first match, he claimed four wickets, quickly earning a place in the club’s first team.

His rapid rise continued from club cricket to regional competition, Scotland Under-19s and eventually the national side.

Zainullah was also included in Scotland’s squad for this year’s T20 World Cup in India after the team received a late invitation to replace Bangladesh. Although he did not make the starting XI during the tournament, he has already earned two T20 international caps.

He could now take another major step in his career by making his ODI debut as Scotland continue their Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign against Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Scotland coach Owen Dawkins has described Zainullah as a player with “high potential”, highlighting his work ethic and the progress he has made through club, regional and Under-19 cricket.

His development has not been limited to the cricket field. When he arrived in Scotland, Zainullah had very limited English. Four years later, he is almost fluent while continuing his studies alongside other refugees from different countries.

His growing cricket career has also been a source of pride for his family in Afghanistan, although they initially struggled to believe that he had been selected to represent Scotland.

Zainullah said his father later encouraged him to continue working hard and to strive to become not only a better cricketer, but also a good person.

From tape-ball cricket in Nangarhar to the possibility of representing Scotland in ODI cricket, Zainullah’s rise is already a remarkable story of talent, determination and opportunity — and the young fast bowler has no intention of stopping here.