DUBLIN
Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been unveiled as the owner of the Dublin franchise in the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL), with league co-owner Abhishek Bachchan saying the batting legend’s credibility and long-term vision made him the ideal choice for the project.
The ETPL, scheduled to launch later this year, aims to expand cricket’s footprint across Europe through a mix of franchise competition and grassroots development. Speaking about Dravid’s association with the league, Bachchan stressed that the move was about building a strong cricketing ecosystem rather than attracting celebrity attention.
“I wanted somebody like Rahul because of the kind of credibility and vision that he brings to anything that he does,” Bachchan said.
The tournament has already attracted several prominent names from international cricket. Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired from Indian cricket, will captain and mentor the Dublin franchise.
The league is being organised in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Teams will represent Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Bachchan said the league’s objective is to help Europe emerge as a major cricketing market while creating opportunities for local talent.
“To have people like Steve Waugh, Jonty Rhodes and Dravid on board shows the intent of the ETPL,” he said. “That will dictate the kind of cricket and the way they support young players and help create new talent from local areas.”
Dravid said the developmental aspect of the project convinced him to become involved.
“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,” Dravid said.
The tournament will run from August 26 to September 20 and feature 33 matches among six franchises. International stars including Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Tim David are also expected to be associated with the league either as players or investors.
