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\u2019s six franchises\u2014the Dublin Guardians\u2014also plays a role through an Indian consortium that provides the financial backbone for the team. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely brilliant to be involved. When I first heard about this, it was really exciting,\u201d Dravid said.<\/p>\n
Dravid said he has long been drawn to the way cricket is played and felt across Europe. \u201cI\u2019ve always loved the passion and energy of cricket in Europe. The passion with which the players play the game,\u201d 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, \u201cI\u2019ve seen the passion of grassroots, and also the T20 World Cup has shown the talent, too.\u201d For Dravid, the league represents an opportunity to nurture that talent. \u201cThat\u2019s something we can grow and build. It would be a dream to see the talent on the world stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also been named as the captain of the Dublin Guardians for the tournament\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n
Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice believes the new league could deliver a major impact across the continent. \u201cIt\u2019s going to make a huge impact across Europe. I am excited by the calibre of people who are backing the teams,\u201d he said. MacNeice stressed that the initiative is designed to raise the sport\u2019s profile while helping it develop in regions where cricket can expand further. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the visibility and development of the game in a region where it can grow,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Franchise rights have reportedly been sold for \u00a311.1 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, \u201cI\u2019m not signing up to a Mickey Mouse T20 competition. This is the real deal,\u201d adding that the appetite from players has been evident. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be lending my name to it, or bringing my knowledge, if it wasn\u2019t. The players we\u2019ve spoken to are very keen to play in this league,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Rahul Dravid Hails ETPL as Dublin Guardians Start IPL Season","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rahul Dravid shares his excitement for the ETPL as Dublin Guardians prepare for the inaugural season, with plans in The Hague and Dublin.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n