The global push to expand cricket has taken a big step forward, with Europe becoming the sport’s next franchise frontier. The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) on Monday confirmed Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid as the owner of Dublin Guardians, finalizing the league’s six-team structure ahead of its debut in 2026.
The development signals a strong push to establish Europe as a new growth market for franchise T20 cricket, backed by administrators, investors and international stars.
The announcement was made at a major ETPL event in Dublin where Dravid was formally unveiled as the owner of the franchise. The meeting also brought together stakeholders from the league, franchise representatives and senior European cricket officials to finalize the formation of the inaugural team.
“What attracted me to the ETPL was the wider vision behind it, the opportunity to help develop cricket in Europe by boosting local development and creating pathways for new talent in Ireland and Europe,” Dravid said on the occasion. “Dublin already has a passionate cricket community and huge potential for growth. Nurturing the next generation has always been important to me and I believe the ETPL can play a meaningful role in that journey.” ETPL gets Native American legends (screed grab from X)
The ETPL is positioned as a long-term project aimed at accelerating cricket’s footprint across Europe through a cross-border franchise model. With the participation of several national boards and private stakeholders, the league is designed to bridge the gap between associate countries and top international cricket, while harnessing the commercial potential of new markets.
Several global T20 stars are expected to feature in the league, including Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen, creating opportunities for emerging European talent to share dressing rooms with established international names.
COMPLETE STRUCTURE OF 6 TEAMS
With the inclusion of Dravid as the owner of Dublin Guardians, the ETPL has now completed its six-team framework comprising franchises from Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The launch event in Dublin was also attended by franchises including Glasgow’s Vipul Aggarwal and former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes, who is linked with the Rotterdam franchise.
ETPL co-founders Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra also attended the event, underscoring strong support from both the sports and business leadership.
The ETPL was launched in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. The competition aims to introduce a cross-border franchise model that connects multiple European cities within one structured league system.
ETPL Franchise and Owners:
Dublin Franchise – Rahul Dravid
Belfast Franchise – Glenn Maxwell and Rohan Lund
Edinburgh Franchise – Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum & Rachel Wiseman
Glasgow Franchise – Vipul Aggarwal and Chris Gayle
Amsterdam Franchise – Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer and Tim Thomas
Rotterdam franchise – Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin and Samir Shah, with Madhukar Shree as managing partner
– The end
Published on:
11 May 2026 23:15 IST
