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The Board for Veteran Cricket in India (BVCI) has confirmed that the squads of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong have been announced for the inaugural Asian Legends Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from January 28 to February 4, as per a press release.
India had already announced the squad. The Asian Legends Cup is a first-of-its-kind continental tournament for veteran cricketers aged 40 and above and will feature six teams -- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Hong Kong. The championship marks a historic step in Asian veteran cricket, bringing together former international and leading domestic players from across the continent. The Hong Kong Legends squad includes Kashif, Ilikhar, Jhamsaid Khan, Zar Khan, Sohail, Kamal, Ilyas Gul, Harsha, Matiz, Mukhtar Ahmed, Tariq, Imran Khan, Farooq Saeed, Waseem Raza, Jawid Khan and Rana Khan. The UAE Legends team comprises Rafiullah Syed, Vijay Mehra, Narayan Krishnan, Humaj Gondal, Hassan Raza, Martin Velter, Qamar Awan, Imran Javed, Sana Baloch, Sarfraz Khan, Babar Ghazantar, Heshan De Silva, Dilan Bandara, Satish Varadhan, Rehan Khan and Mujahid Hussain. The Pakistan Legends squad features Muhammad Naveed Ashraf, Wajahat Ullah Wasti, Yasir Ashfaq, Alamgir Khan, Muhammad Salim Akhtar, Imran Shahzad, Fazal Abbass, Shakir Raja, Anees Asghar, Raja Ishraq, Shakeel Kattar, Ahsan Satti and Muhammad Raheel Uppal. The Sri Lanka Legends side includes Prasad A., Duminda P, Shantha S., Palitha L, Manoj H, Sujeewa G, Daninda M, Anil D, Priyantha P, Anjana W, Sukumal F, Saman T, Donavan O, Kulatunga, R P Fernando and Chaminda S. The Bangladesh Legends squad consists of Alok Kapali, Naim Islam, Sofiul Islam, Alamgir Kabir, Elias Sunny, Abul Hossin Raju, Forhad Hossain, Saklain Sojib, Dhiman Ghosh, Nazmus Sadat, Imtiaz Hossin Tanna, Mukter Ali, Humayn Kobir, Mohammad Ashraful, Nadif Chowdhury, Delaowr Hossein, Salauddin Pappu and Tajin Ahamed. The Asian Legends Cup aims to provide a competitive international platform for retired cricketers and strengthen the veterans' cricket ecosystem across Asia. The tournament will be played at a neutral venue in Thailand, chosen for its central location and logistical convenience. The championship will be broadcast live globally on YouTube and FanCode, allowing cricket fans worldwide to watch veteran stars return to competitive action. Organisers have indicated that the Asian Legends Cup is planned as an annual event, with discussions also underway to expand the concept into a future Veterans' World Cup. (ANI)
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