Rahul Dravid, one of India’s cricket legends, now owns the Dublin Guardians—a brand new franchise in the European T20 Premier League. The ETPL locked in its six-team roster at a big event, with franchise owners from all the teams showing up.
Dravid made it clear why he joined: “I was drawn to ETPL because it isn’t just about the competition. It’s about helping cricket grow in Europe, investing in youth programs, and opening doors for new players across Ireland and Europe.”
R Ashwin, another former Indian star, will captain the Dublin side. They’ll face off against teams from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam.
“Dublin already has a strong cricket following and room to grow,” Dravid said. “I care about bringing up the next generation, and I see ETPL making a real difference on that front.”
Other major figures came out for the launch—people like Vipul Aggarwal of the Glasgow team, and Jonty Rhodes and Madhukar Shree from Rotterdam. The ETPL founders—Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul, and Dhiraj Malhotra—were there too. High-profile leaders from European cricket, like Brian MacNeice (Cricket Ireland), Sarah Keane (Cricket Ireland), Roland Lefebvre (Cricket Netherlands), and Trudy Lindblade (Cricket Scotland) filled out the guest list.
The ETPL was launched with the backing of Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. It introduces a cross-border franchise setup with teams based in Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam.
The league will bring in big international names—Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, and more.
Season one kicks off August 26 and runs to September 20.
Here’s how the franchise ownership breaks down:
- Dublin: Rahul Dravid
- Belfast: Glenn Maxwell and Rohan Lund
- Edinburgh: Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, and Rachel Wiseman
- Glasgow: Vipul Aggarwal and Chris Gayle
- Amsterdam: Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, and Tim Thomas
- Rotterdam: Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin, and Samir Shah, with Madhukar Shree as Managing Partner
It’s a big leap for cricket in Europe, with some famous names at the helm.
