Indian cricket icon Rahul Dravid is looking forward to the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), scheduled to take place later this year in The Hague and Dublin. Dravid, who co-owns one of the league’s six franchises—the Dublin Guardians—also plays a role through an Indian consortium that provides the financial backbone for the team. “It’s absolutely brilliant to be involved. When I first heard about this, it was really exciting,” Dravid said.
Dravid said he has long been drawn to the way cricket is played and felt across Europe. “I’ve always loved the passion and energy of cricket in Europe. The passion with which the players play the game,” he added. He also pointed to the strength coming from the grassroots level and highlighted the wider signal sent by the T20 World Cup, saying, “I’ve seen the passion of grassroots, and also the T20 World Cup has shown the talent, too.” For Dravid, the league represents an opportunity to nurture that talent. “That’s something we can grow and build. It would be a dream to see the talent on the world stage,” he said.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also been named as the captain of the Dublin Guardians for the tournament’s inaugural campaign. The first edition is set to run from August 26 to September 20. The other franchises in the ETPL are based in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Glasgow (Scotland), and Edinburgh (Scotland).
Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice believes the new league could deliver a major impact across the continent. “It’s going to make a huge impact across Europe. I am excited by the calibre of people who are backing the teams,” he said. MacNeice stressed that the initiative is designed to raise the sport’s profile while helping it develop in regions where cricket can expand further. “It’s all about the visibility and development of the game in a region where it can grow,” he added.
Franchise rights have reportedly been sold for £11.1 million (about $15 million) across a 10-year window. Bollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is also involved as a part-owner of the league, working alongside Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company. Another notable figure connected to the competition is former Australia captain Steve Waugh, whose investment group is behind the Amsterdam Flames. Waugh said he is not interested in a gimmick tournament, stating, “I’m not signing up to a Mickey Mouse T20 competition. This is the real deal,” adding that the appetite from players has been evident. “I wouldn’t be lending my name to it, or bringing my knowledge, if it wasn’t. The players we’ve spoken to are very keen to play in this league,” he said.
While the league is currently an initiative involving cricket boards from Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands, the organisers are aiming for broader international participation in the near future. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was also approached, but it is understood that it has its own priorities, including tournaments such as The Hundred and the T20 Blast.
