Former India cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are reportedly set to become franchise owners in the European T20 Premier League, with an India-based consortium agreeing to acquire the Glasgow-based franchise for the tournament, which is set to begin in August.
According to a BBC report, the same consortium is also set to take ownership of the Dutch franchise, while a separate group with South African investors including Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes will acquire the franchise in the competition. New franchise announcements are expected later this month.
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Dravid and Scotland connection
Dravid’s involvement with the Scottish franchise is not without precedent. The former India coach played for Scotland in England’s one-day tournament in 2003 and played 11 one-day matches in the second division of the National Cricket League in three months.
He was in good form throughout, amassing 600 runs at an average of 66.66, including three hundreds and two fifties, at a strike rate of 92.73. One of his outstanding knocks was a fluent 114 against Northampton.
Interestingly, former Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer, then just 19, was Dravid’s teammate during that stint. Scotland managed just one win that season, but Dravid’s contribution with the bat was outstanding.
Could Ashwin play in Europe?
Ashwin’s involvement raises an equally interesting question. The The 39-year-old retired from international cricket in December 2024 and last year from the Indian Premier League when he expressed his desire to play in global franchise leagues. His involvement as a franchise owner opens the door to the possibility of him also featuring as a player, which would be a significant boost to the tournament.
Ashwin had earlier agreed to play for Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League, which would make him the first Indian-capped international to feature in the competition. However, a knee injury sustained during a training session in Chennai last December forced him to withdraw and he has been rehabbing since the surgery.
Whether Ashwin is fit enough to feature as a player in the ETPL remains to be seen, but his involvement with the franchise adds considerable intrigue ahead of the tournament.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
06 Mar 2026 14:22 IST
