Former Indian captain and World Cup winning coach Rahul Dravid is ready to start a new journey off the field after emerging as the owner of dublin patron in the upcoming European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The announcement was made in Dublin on Monday in the presence of Dravid and the Bollywood actor Abhishek BachchanWho is one of the promoters of the league.
The ETPL, scheduled to launch in August 2026, is being billed as 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, and will feature teams from Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Rahul Dravid explains the reason behind joining Dublin Guardians
Dravid revealed that the outlook for the growth of cricket across Europe played a major role in his decision to join the Dublin franchise. The former India head coach also highlighted the cricket culture that already exists in Dublin and expressed confidence about its impact on the future of the league.
“What attracted me to the ETPL was the big vision behind it, the opportunity to help grow cricket in Europe by strengthening grassroots development and creating pathways for emerging talent in Ireland and Europe. Dublin already has a passionate cricket community and huge potential for growth. Nurturing the next generation has always been important to me, and I believe the ETPL can play a meaningful role in that journey.” Dravid said in a statement.
ETPL attracts many global cricket stars and big-name owners
ETPL has already attracted several prominent cricket personalities as franchise owners. glen maxwell And Rohan Lund Whereas, the owner of the Belfast franchise will be chris gayle Is part of the Glasgow ownership group. Former captain of Australia steve waugh Amsterdam is also linked to the franchise, while names like Rotterdam are involved Faf du Plessis And jonty rhodes.
Many international stars are expected to feature in the competition as players. Names like are likely to be included in the league Michelle Marsh, tim david, michel santner, liam livingstoneand many more.
Rahul Dravid has now joined Dublin Guardians, with the ETPL adding one of cricket’s most respected figures to a project aimed at expanding the game’s footprint across Europe.