The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) took a big step toward its debut season on Wednesday, holding its first-ever player draft. Local talent from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands was spread across the six franchises.
The tournament dates were already out, with it scheduled to run from August 26 to September 20. Now, the draft has revealed how the basic structure of the teams will look like. Franchise teams led by stars such as Steve Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh and Finn Allen now have their local cores in place.
The biggest headline from the draft was the selection of Ireland pacer Jai Moondra by the Rotterdam Dockers with their first-round pick. Moondra’s stock has risen big time over the last few weeks after his dream international debut against India, where he dismissed Sanju Samson (twice), Shivam Dube and several other Indian stars during Ireland’s historic series win.
Curtis Campher became Amsterdam Flames’ marquee local selection, while Benjamin Calitz was snapped up by Dublin Guardians. Scotland seamer Brad Currie emerged as Glasgow Cosmic’s top pick, and Ireland all-rounder Gareth Delany went first for Edinburgh Castle Rockers.
The ETPL has enforced an equal-player allocation model, with exactly 12 players drafted each from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Fascinatingly, there’s Moises Henriques, the former Australia all-rounder as well, who will play for Glasgow as a local European player after switching his allegiance to Portugal.
ETPL franchises begin taking shape
The draft picks will now join a star-studded list of overseas and marquee signings.
Dublin Guardians, backed by Rahul Dravid, will be led by Ravichandran Ashwin, who is set to combine captaincy duties with a mentoring role. Amsterdam Flames already boast a formidable core featuring Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Scott Edwards and Michael Bracewell.
Rotterdam Dockers arguably possess the strongest South African flavour. Faf du Plessis will captain the side and reunite with Heinrich Klaasen, Donovan Ferreira and Anrich Nortje. Mitchell Owen, one of the standout performers in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026, will also feature for the franchise.
Glasgow Cosmic have assembled a strong pace attack with Lungi Ngidi, Duan Jansen and Keshav Maharaj, while New Zealand opener Finn Allen will provide firepower at the top.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh Castle Rockers have secured Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult, with Santner expected to lead the side. Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden will coach Glasgow, while ex-England wicketkeeper James Foster has been appointed Edinburgh’s head coach. With global legends such as Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh and Jonty Rhodes heavily involved behind the scenes, the ETPL is aiming to establish itself as Europe’s premier franchise competition.
ETPL 2026 Draft Picks
| Franchise | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Flames | Curtis Campher | Kyle Klein | Tim Pringle | Aryan Dutt | Jordan Neill | Max O’Dowd |
| Rotterdam Dockers | Jai Moondra | Michael Levitt | Ryan Klein | Jasper Davidson | Vikramjit Singh | Saqib Zulfiqar |
| Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Gareth Delany | Ross Adair | Jack Jarvis | Charlie Tear | Safyaan Sharif | Finlay McCreath |
| Glasgow Cosmic | Brad Currie | Matthew Cross | Paul van Meekeren | Michael Leask | Oliver Davidson | Chris McBride |
| Dublin Guardians | Benjamin Calitz | George Dockrell | Matthew Hollard | Craig Young | Noah Croes | Chris Greaves |
| Belfast Wolves | Matthew Humphreys | Fred Klaassen | Tim Tector | Paul Stirling | Zainullah Ihsan | Alexander Roy |
ETPL 2026: Direct Signings
- Amsterdam Flames: Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Michael Bracewell, Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede
- Rotterdam Dockers: Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Donovan Ferreira, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Owen
- Edinburgh Castle Rockers: Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult
- Glasgow Cosmic: Finn Allen, Lungi Ngidi, Duan Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Moises Henriques
- Dublin Guardians: Ravichandran Ashwin (C and mentor)
- Belfast Wolves: Glenn Maxwell (C and co-owner)
