What Is The Shpageeza Cricket League
The Shpageeza Cricket League or SPL is a T20 franchise tournament organised by the Afghanistan Cricket Board. The overall format is rather similar to the Indian Premier League and the Vitality Blast.
When Is The Shpageeza Cricket League played?
The Shpageeza Cricket League tournament takes place every year, with this being one of the most prestigious cricket events in Afghanistan may fans look forward to each year.
History Of The Shpageeza Cricket League
The Shpageeza Cricket League was established in 2013, and has been recognised by the ICC with Twenty20 domestic status since 2017. The Speen Ghar Tigers are the most successful team in Shpageeza Cricket League history and have won on three occasions, the most recent being the 2022 edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League.
Top Run Scorer In Shpageeza Cricket League History
Afghanistan national cricket team star Asghar Stanikzai has scored 770 runs in the Shpageeza Cricket League, more than any other batter to date.
Top Wicket Taker In Shpageeza Cricket League History
Two players have taken 25 Shpageeza Cricket League wickets and they share the same surname, Zadran. Namely Dalwat and Shapoor both pacey bowlers who have represented the Afghanistan national team previously.
Memorable Games In The Shpageeza Cricket League
The most recent Shpageeza Cricket League final produced a tight contest as Speen Ghar Tigers defeated Boost Defenders by just 6 runs in Kabul. Tigers batted first with skipper Usman Ghani leading the way with 69 for 53 balls, Najibullah Zadran added late innings with momentum with 43 off 22 deliveries as they totaled 188 for 4. Boost Defenders lost early wickets in reply but an excellent innings from captain Hashmattullah Shihidi kept their hopes alive. When he was dismissed with two overs to go for 90 off 55 balls they still needed 45 from 12 balls which seemed unlikely but Adbul Rahman and Zia-ur Rehman nearly pulled off a remarkable victory, falling just one hit away from tying match as the Tigers sneaked over the line to win the Shpageeza Cricket League for the third time.
The 2017 Shpageeza Cricket League final was also a tight contest between Band-e-Amir Dragons and Mis Ainak Knights. Dragons scored 158 for 7, player of the match Javed Ahmadi top scored with 55 from 39 balls. Mohamed Nabi removed Afghanistan team mate Rashid Khan for just two in an excellent spell of 2 for 19 from his 4 overs. The Knights would have fancied chasing a relatively modest total and looked well set of 61 for 1, at that point they started to lose wickets. Nabi scored a quickfire 27 from just 12 balls but he fell in the 19th over. In the end it was down to needing 12 from the final over to be bowled by Zimbabwe national cricket team seamer Tendai Chatara. He held his nerve (apart from bowling a no ball!) conceding just 5 runs from the bat as his team snuck home by just 4 runs to win a dramatic Shpageeza Cricket League final.
Similar Competitions To The Shpageeza Cricket League
The National T20 Cup and the PSL are also domestic T20 twenty competitions, those interested in this page may also be interested in those sections.
