INDIAN CRICKET LEGEND Rahul Dravid has been confirmed as the owner of the Dublin Guardians, the new franchise team which will take part in the inaugural European T20 Premier League.
Dravid also revealed at a press conference in Dublin that he will be joined by former India spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who will captain the team.
Monday’s announcement completes the line-up for the six-team league, with franchises also based out of Belfast, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Glasgow and Edinburgh. BBC Sport reported previously that the franchises have been sold for €12.75 million ($15 million) over a 10-year period.
Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice described the news as “a landmark moment for cricket in Ireland and for the wider European cricket ecosystem”.
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Dravid and Ashwin were officially unveiled in Dublin, having initially been linked with the team based in Glasgow. Ashwin – who has 537 wickets in test cricket, the second most for his country – is available to play in leagues around the world following his retirement from international cricket in December 2024 and his decision to step away from the Indian Premier League last summer.
The announcement of a full league line-up increases the likelihood that the tournament will be held from 26 August to 20 September as scheduled. Previous editions of an Irish, Scottish and Dutch franchise cricket league, under different backers, had struggled to get off the ground with the earliest iteration going back to 2019. Last year’s ETPL was postponed by the organisers due to a lack of progress with team ownership.
The ETPL, like other similar competitions around the world, looks to emulate successes seen with the Indian Premier League, which blends Indian and international talent. The IPL has been reported by Deloitte as the second most valuable league in world sport after the NFL. The involvement of household names of Indian cricket may also potentially add to the attractiveness of a broadcasting deal for the league in the Indian market.
Dravid said: “It is probably not the number one sport in Ireland or in Scotland or in the Netherlands,” but admitted “it has a great history, already a great tradition. There is so much club cricket that happens here, there is a passion for the sport at the grassroots level and a deep passion.
“You can see that even at the World Cups, when you look at the Irish fans and the Scottish fans, you see that passion for the game,” said the 53-year-old, who has played 164 Tests and 344 one-day internationals for India as well as coaching the national team from 2021 to 2024.
Bollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is a part-owner of the ETPL in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company.
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Indian cricket legend Dravid unveiled as owner of new Dublin T20 franchise
INDIAN CRICKET LEGEND Rahul Dravid has been confirmed as the owner of the Dublin Guardians, the new franchise team which will take part in the inaugural European T20 Premier League.
Dravid also revealed at a press conference in Dublin that he will be joined by former India spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who will captain the team.
Monday’s announcement completes the line-up for the six-team league, with franchises also based out of Belfast, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Glasgow and Edinburgh. BBC Sport reported previously that the franchises have been sold for €12.75 million ($15 million) over a 10-year period.
Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice described the news as “a landmark moment for cricket in Ireland and for the wider European cricket ecosystem”.
Dravid and Ashwin were officially unveiled in Dublin, having initially been linked with the team based in Glasgow. Ashwin – who has 537 wickets in test cricket, the second most for his country – is available to play in leagues around the world following his retirement from international cricket in December 2024 and his decision to step away from the Indian Premier League last summer.
The announcement of a full league line-up increases the likelihood that the tournament will be held from 26 August to 20 September as scheduled. Previous editions of an Irish, Scottish and Dutch franchise cricket league, under different backers, had struggled to get off the ground with the earliest iteration going back to 2019. Last year’s ETPL was postponed by the organisers due to a lack of progress with team ownership.
The ETPL, like other similar competitions around the world, looks to emulate successes seen with the Indian Premier League, which blends Indian and international talent. The IPL has been reported by Deloitte as the second most valuable league in world sport after the NFL. The involvement of household names of Indian cricket may also potentially add to the attractiveness of a broadcasting deal for the league in the Indian market.
Dravid said: “It is probably not the number one sport in Ireland or in Scotland or in the Netherlands,” but admitted “it has a great history, already a great tradition. There is so much club cricket that happens here, there is a passion for the sport at the grassroots level and a deep passion.
“You can see that even at the World Cups, when you look at the Irish fans and the Scottish fans, you see that passion for the game,” said the 53-year-old, who has played 164 Tests and 344 one-day internationals for India as well as coaching the national team from 2021 to 2024.
Bollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is a part-owner of the ETPL in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company.
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Cricket Dublin Guardians European Premier League European T20 Premier League Rahul Dravid Ravichandran Ashwin