Former India captain and T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid has been announced as the owner of Dublin Guardians, one of the six franchises set to compete in the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), scheduled to begin in August 2026.
The ETPL, backed by Abhishek Bachchan, is Europe’s first ICC-sanctioned multi-country franchise T20 league. The tournament has been launched in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
The six-team competition will feature franchises based in Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with the league aiming to accelerate cricket’s growth across Europe.
Speaking about his involvement with the tournament, Dravid said the broader vision of developing cricket in Europe played a key role in his decision.
“What attracted me to ETPL was the larger vision behind it — the opportunity to help grow cricket in Europe by strengthening grassroots development and creating pathways for emerging talent across Ireland and Europe,” Dravid said in a statement.
He also highlighted Dublin’s growing cricket culture and the importance of nurturing young players.
“Dublin already has a passionate cricketing community and enormous potential for growth. Nurturing the next generation has always been important to me, and I believe ETPL can play a meaningful role in that journey,” he added.
The league has already attracted several high-profile investors and players from the cricketing world. Glenn Maxwell is a co-owner of Irish Wolves, while Steve Waugh is associated with Amsterdam Flames. Edinburgh Castle Rockers are owned by former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Cosmic counts Chris Gayle among its co-owners, while Rotterdam Dockers are backed by Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen.
Several international stars, including Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner and Liam Livingstone, are also expected to feature in the league.
Dravid believes the presence of globally recognised stars alongside local talent could significantly boost cricket’s popularity in the region.
“A great opportunity for local Irish, Scottish, Dutch and European players to share a dressing room with some absolutely great players. That in itself should be very exciting,” Dravid said.
The former India coach also stressed the importance of fan engagement and match-day experience in ensuring the league’s long-term success.
“At the grassroots level, it’s about creating awareness, bringing fans to the stadiums and giving them a top-class experience. We are competing with some very established sports, so the overall experience has to be world-class,” he said.
