No Pakistan Shaheens in Top End T20 Series 2026 as schedule unveiled
Shaheens miss 2026 Top End T20 despite reaching last year's semi-finals
DARWIN: The schedule for the fourth edition of the Top End T20 Series has been unveiled, with Cricket Victoria set to take on the Hobart Hurricanes in the opening match as the tournament runs from 21 to 30 August in Australia.
A total of nine teams will compete in this year's developmental T20 tournament, with the Pakistan Shaheens notably absent after participating in each of the previous three editions and producing a series of impressive performances.
The teams competing in the upcoming edition are Cricket Victoria, Hobart Hurricanes, HH Kingsmen, ACT Comets, Northern Territory (NT) Strike, New Zealand A, Adelaide Strikers Academy, Bangladesh High Performance (HP) and Nepal.
Despite reaching the semi-finals in the 2025 edition, the Pakistan Shaheens have not been included in the 2026 tournament.
The Pakistan Shaheens enjoyed another successful campaign in the 2025 Top End T20 Series, finishing second in the league stage before bowing out in the semi-finals against the Perth Scorchers Academy.
Led by Muhammad Irfan Khan, the Shaheens won four of their six league-stage matches in the 11-team competition to secure a place in the knockout stage.
In the 2024 edition, the Shaheens finished third after suffering a semi-final defeat to the Adelaide Strikers Academy.
Under the captaincy of Mohammad Haris, the side recorded several convincing victories during the league phase of the nine-team tournament but narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
The team's best performance came during their maiden appearance in 2023, when they finished as runners-up after losing the final to hosts Northern Territory (NT) Strike by 46 runs.
Captained by wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir, the Shaheens made an immediate impact in the developmental white-ball competition by reaching the title decider.
Top End T20 Series 2026 Fixtures (21–30 August)
Friday, 21 August
- Victoria vs Hobart Hurricanes – TIO Stadium, 10:00 AM
- ACT Comets vs HH Kingsmen – TIO Stadium, 3:00 PM
- NT Strike vs Nepal – DXC Arena #1, 6:00 PM
Saturday, 22 August
- New Zealand A vs Adelaide Strikers Academy – TIO Stadium, 10:00 AM
- Victoria vs HH Kingsmen – DXC Arena #1, 2:00 PM
- Nepal vs Bangladesh HP – TIO Stadium, 6:00 PM
Sunday, 23 August
- New Zealand A vs ACT Comets – TIO Stadium, 10:00 AM
- NT Strike vs Adelaide Strikers Academy – Gerry Wood Oval, 1:00 PM
- Hobart Hurricanes vs Bangladesh HP – TIO Stadium, 5:00 PM
Monday, 24 August
- NT Strike vs HH Kingsmen – DXC Arena #1, 10:00 AM
- Victoria vs Bangladesh HP – DXC Arena #2, 2:30 PM
- Nepal vs Hobart Hurricanes – DXC Arena #1, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, 25 August
- NT Strike vs ACT Comets – DXC Arena #2, 10:00 AM
- New Zealand A vs HH Kingsmen – DXC Arena #2, 2:30 PM
- Adelaide Strikers Academy vs Bangladesh HP – DXC Arena #1, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, 26 August
- New Zealand A vs Victoria – DXC Arena #1, 10:00 AM
- Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers Academy – DXC Arena #2, 2:30 PM
- Nepal vs ACT Comets – DXC Arena #1, 7:00 PM
Thursday, 27 August
- NT Strike vs Victoria – DXC Arena #1, 10:00 AM
- Nepal vs HH Kingsmen – Gardens Oval, 1:00 PM
- New Zealand A vs Bangladesh HP – DXC Arena #1, 5:00 PM
Friday, 28 August
- Hobart Hurricanes vs ACT Comets – DXC Arena #1, 10:00 AM
- HH Kingsmen vs Adelaide Strikers Academy – Gardens Oval, 1:00 PM
- NT Strike vs Bangladesh HP – DXC Arena #1, 5:00 PM
Saturday, 29 August
- New Zealand A vs Hobart Hurricanes – DXC Arena #1, 10:00 AM
- ACT Comets vs Adelaide Strikers Academy – Gardens Oval, 1:00 PM
- Nepal vs Victoria – DXC Arena #1, 5:00 PM
Sunday, 30 August
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