How Afghanistan’s New League Limit Rule Could Affect IPL Franchises

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced a new rule on January 14 regarding player participation in global T20 leagues, a move that could impact IPL franchises.

ACB Limits Players to Three Overseas Leagues

Afghanistan players will be allowed to play in only three international T20 leagues along with the Afghanistan Premier League, the board’s upcoming five team franchise T20 league, which is set to begin around October 2026 in the UAE.

“To protect player fitness and mental well-being, the Board approved a new policy regarding foreign leagues. Players will now be permitted to participate in the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), plus only three other international leagues per year. This measure aims to manage workload and ensure peak performance for national duties,” ACB said in a statement following the AGM.

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Afghanistan Stars and IPL Franchises could get affected by new rule

The new rule could affect players such as Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who regularly play in franchise leagues around the world. The decision is also likely to impact Indian Premier League franchises and their sister teams in other leagues.

Rashid Khan, the highest wicket taker in T20 cricket, is currently the captain of MI Cape Town in the SA20. He is also an important player for Mumbai Indians franchises, including MI Emirates in the ILT20 and MI New York in the MLC, apart from representing Gujarat Titans in the IPL.

Noor Ahmad represents Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He also plays for Lucknow Super Giants’ sister franchise Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred, and CSK’s Joburg Super Kings in the MLC.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman went unsold in the auction but remains associated with the Rajasthan Royals network through Paarl Royals in the SA20 and also plays for Barbados Royals in the CPL.

AM Ghazanfar, part of the Mumbai Indians squad in Indian Premier League, also represents MI Emirates in the ILT20.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz went unsold in the auction but plays for Delhi Capitals linked franchise Pretoria Capitals in the SA20.

Although the Indian Premier League is expected to be the priority for these players among the three leagues they are allowed to play, the new limit means they may have to skip other tournaments. This could affect the plans of IPL franchises and their sister teams across different leagues.

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