Former India captain and T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid continues to play a part in helping cricket grow. After his tireless years to aid Indian cricket, Dravid has entered franchise cricket ownership after being unveiled as the owner of the Dublin-based franchise in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The franchise has officially been named Dublin Guardians ahead of the league’s inaugural season in 2026.
The announcement was made in Dublin on Monday in the presence of Dravid and Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who is one of the promoters and co-owners of the ambitious league.
The ETPL, scheduled to be played across August and September next year, is being launched in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. It is also being projected as Europe’s first ICC-sanctioned multi-country franchise T20 competition.
Rahul Dravid explains why ETPL project attracted him
Dravid said the vision behind the league, especially its emphasis on grassroots development and talent pathways across Europe, convinced him to get 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 across Ireland and Europe,” Dravid said. “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.“
The former India head coach also highlighted the importance of creating a strong fan culture in Europe, where cricket continues to compete against deeply established sporting ecosystems.
“At the grassroots level, it’s about creating that awareness for the fans, it’s about getting people on the ground, it’s about giving them a great experience,” Dravid said. “When they come to the cricket, the quality has got to be of a high standard but the experience of everything else at that venue has to be top-notch. Because we are competing with some very, very established sports.”
Dravid also expressed excitement over established international cricketers potentially sharing dressing rooms with emerging local talent. “I know some of the names…some absolutely great players. A great opportunity for them to be able to play with so many of the local Irish, Scottish, Dutch and European players. I think that in itself should be a really exciting opportunity.“
Star-studded ownership and player pool announced
The ETPL has assembled a high-profile ownership group featuring several former and current international cricketers.
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, West Indies legend Chris Gayle, former Australia captain Steve Waugh, New Zealand duo Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum, South Africa great Jonty Rhodes and former Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis are all part of franchise ownership structures.
The tournament is also expected to feature a number of major international stars, including Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen, among others. Interestingly, both Maxwell and du Plessis are expected to play in the competition apart from being involved in ownership roles.
ETPL franchise ownership structure
Franchise Owners Dublin Guardians Rahul Dravid Belfast franchise Glenn Maxwell and Rohan Lund Edinburgh franchise Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum & Rachel Wiseman Glasgow franchise Vipul Aggarwal and Chris Gayle Amsterdam franchise Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer and Tim Thomas Rotterdam franchise Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Glashin and Samir Shah
