The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has unveiled Rahul Dravid as the franchise owner for its Dublin team, with the side also receiving a new identity: the Dublin Guardians. Dravid\u2019s appointment finalises the league\u2019s six-team ownership setup ahead of the competition\u2019s much-anticipated debut in 2026. The ETPL is being backed by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, and both Dravid and Bachchan were in Dublin on Monday for the announcement.<\/p>\n
ETPL is being launched in collaboration with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. The league\u2019s concept centres on a cross-border franchise model that will see teams representing multiple cities across Europe, including Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam\u2014an approach described as a first of its kind in the T20 franchise space. The tournament is also expected to attract international names, with players such as Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen among those linked with the league.<\/p>\n
Dravid explained the motivation behind taking on the Dublin role, saying he was drawn to ETPL\u2019s broader purpose\u2014using the platform to strengthen grassroots cricket and build clear routes for emerging talent across Ireland and the wider European region. He added that Dublin already boasts a committed cricket fanbase and significant room to expand, emphasising that nurturing the next generation has been central to his involvement. Dravid said he believes ETPL can make a real difference in that journey.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, the six-team ETPL is scheduled to be staged in August and September. The announced franchise ownership structure is as follows:<\/p>\n
ETPL’s franchise ownership structure:<\/b><\/p>\n
Dublin franchise<\/b> – Rahul Dravid<\/p>\n
Belfast franchise<\/b> – Glenn Maxwell and Rohan Lund<\/p>\n
Edinburgh franchise<\/b> – Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum & Rachel Wiseman<\/p>\n
Glasgow franchise<\/b> – Vipul Aggarwal and Chris Gayle<\/p>\n
Amsterdam franchise<\/b> – Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer and Tim Thomas<\/p>\n
Rotterdam franchise<\/b> – Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin and Samir Shah, with Madhukar Shree as Managing Partner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has unveiled Rahul Dravid as the franchise owner for its Dublin team, with the side also receiving a new…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Rahul Dravid named owner of Dublin Guardians in IPL-style ETPL 2026","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rahul Dravid takes charge of Dublin Guardians as ETPL confirms its 2026 debut plans\u2014six-team ownership set with Abhishek Bachchan backing the league.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n