Legendary Indian cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are reportedly part of an Indian consortium set to acquire a franchise in the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The official announcement regarding the sale of the Glasgow franchise is expected to be made later this month.
According to a report by BBC Sport, the investment group has agreed to a deal to purchase the Glasgow-based franchise in the six-team tournament planned for this summer. Former Indian cricketers are moving from on-field excellence to team ownership in the emerging European cricket landscape.
ETPL Attracts Investments from Former International Cricketers
The ETPL, organized in partnership with the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands, has been attracting massive interest from former international players. Notably, the league is also poised to sell the second Dutch franchise, based in Rotterdam.
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The report added that the Rotterdam franchise will be acquired by a group of South African investors fronted by ex-Proteas players Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, and Jonty Rhodes. Sales of franchises in Amsterdam, Belfast, and Edinburgh were completed to Australian and New Zealand investors in January.
The only ETPL city franchise yet to be sold is the one based in Dublin. The report added that there has been interest in the Dublin team from various parties, including owners of at least two teams in England’s The Hundred competition.
According to the report, the franchises have been sold for £11.1 million ($15 million) over a 10-year period, with teams expected to operate on a salary budget of around £1.1 million ($1.5 million) per season.
Will Ravichandran Ashwin Play for His Franchise in the ETPL?
Rahul Dravid concluded a stint as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team in 2024. It is not yet officially known whether Ravichandran Ashwin will play in the tournament for his new franchise.
The 39-year-old off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket in December 2024 and stepped away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in August 2025. However, Ravichandran Ashwin had expressed a strong desire to explore opportunities in global franchise leagues worldwide.
Ravichandran Ashwin was initially set to play in the recent edition of Australia’s Big Bash League after agreeing to a deal with the Sydney Thunder. However, he suffered a knee injury during training in Chennai last December and was sidelined for rehabilitation following surgery.
Regarding his potential return to the field, the BBC report said, “Ashwin’s involvement is an intriguing one and raises the tantalising prospect of him playing in the ETPL in what would be a major coup for the organisers.”
Rahul Dravid’s Special Connection to Scottish Cricket
Dravid has a special connection with Scottish cricket. The 53-year-old batting great previously played for Scotland as an overseas professional in 2003 when the team still participated in England’s limited-overs county competitions.
During that stint, the former right-handed batter played 11 matches in the National Cricket League, scoring a massive 600 runs, including three centuries.
His return to Scottish cricket as a team owner sends a powerful message about the country’s cricketing potential and adds considerable credibility to the inaugural ETPL tournament, which is scheduled to run from August 26 to September 20.
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