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The European T20 Premier League is a first-of-its-kind Europe-based franchise cricket league, sanctioned by the ICC. The ETPL is being developed in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
Dublin Guardians owner Rahul Dravid (L) and ETPL co-founder Abhishek Bachchan. From being The Wall of Indian cricket to two-time World Cup-winning Indian coach, former cricketer Rahul Dravid embarked on a new journey after he was announced as the owner of the Dublin Guardians - one of the six franchises in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) - sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Launched in partnership of with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, ETPL becomes the first-ever franchise T20 league in Europe, featuring teams from Dublin, Belfast (both in Ireland), Edinburgh, Glasgow (both in Scotland), Rotterdam and Amsterdam (both in Netherlands).
With the associate nations showcasing their talent at the top level (Italy's T20 World Cup qualification as an example), the ETPL will aim to expand across new markets as the sport’s popularity and participation continue to rise throughout the continent.
With international stars including Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen among others set to play in ETPL, it will create more opportunities for emerging players from Europe and other Associate Nations to compete and share the dressing room with some of the biggest names in world cricket.
Indian presence at inaugural ETPL
Besides Dravid, there is a considerable Indian presence at ETPL. Tansha Batra of Gurugram-based Mugafi Group along with West Indies legend Chris Gayle are the co-owners of the Glasgow franchise. Pune-based Madhukar Shree joined the Rotterdam Franchise as a Managing Partner.
Former Australian captain and a World Cup winner, Steve Waugh is one of the co-owners of the Amsterdam franchise. South African legend Jonty Rhodes joined as one of co-owners of Rotterdam Franchise.
When will ETPL 2026 start?
The ETPL 2026 is scheduled to be played from August 26 till September 20 with the games likely to be played in The Hague and Dublin in the inaugural edition. According to a BBC Sport report, the franchises are believed to be have been sold for $15m over a 10-year period.
The match dates and coaches of the teams are yet to be announced. While some of the big active cricketers have already signed for ETPL, the full squads are yet to be revealed.
ETPL’s franchise ownership structure & captains
| Team | City | Captain | Head coach | Owners |
| Amsterdam Flames | Amsterdam | Mitchell Marsh | TBA | Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Thomas |
| Dublin Guardians | Dublin | Ravichandran Ashwin | TBA | Rahul Dravid |
| Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Edinburg | Mitchell Santner | TBA | Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills |
| Glasgow Cosmic | Glasgow | TBA | TBA | Tansha Batra, Chris Gayle |
| Irish Wolves | Belfast | Glenn Maxwell | TBA | Rohan Lund, Glenn Maxwell |
| Rotterdam Dockers | Rotterdam | Faf du Plessis | TBA | Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin and Samir Shah, Madhukar Shree (Managing Partner) |
All you need to know about ETPL owners
The ETPL is a joint venture between Cricket Ireland and Rules Global (Rules X) and is co-founded and co-owned by Cricket Ireland, Abhishek Bachchan (Indian film star), Saurav Banerjee (former Co-CEO of NDTV and Partner at Kalaari Capital), Priyanka Kaul (former CEO of Forbes), and Dhiraj Malhotra (former CEO of Delhi Capitals and former GM of BCCI) partners at Rules Global. The league is being developed in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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