Dublin [Ireland], May 11 (ANI): In a significant development for the global expansion of the sport, the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) on Monday announced Indian cricket icon Rahul Dravid as owner of franchise Dublin Guardians, completing the league’s six-team franchise structure ahead of its 2026 launch.ETPL completed its six-team franchise line-up at a landmark event in Dublin, where Rahul Dravid was officially unveiled as owner of the Dublin franchise ahead of the league’s 2026 launch. The event brought together franchise owners from across the league, including Vipul Aggarwal of Glasgow Franchise, and Jonty Rhodes and Madhukar Shree of Rotterdam Franchise, alongside ETPL co-founders Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra, according to a release.Also, in attendance were senior leaders from European cricket, including Brian MacNeice, Chair of Cricket Ireland; Sarah Keane, CEO of Cricket Ireland; Roland Lefebvre, Director of High Performance of Cricket Netherlands; and Trudy Lindblade, CEO of Cricket Scotland, underlining the strong institutional backing and growing momentum behind Europe’s first ICC-sanctioned multi-country franchise T20 league.Launched in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association, ETPL introduces a first-of-its-kind cross-border franchise model featuring teams from Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Designed to position Europe as cricket’s next major growth frontier, the league also has long-term ambitions to expand across new markets as the sport’s popularity and participation continue to rise throughout the continent.The league is expected to feature international stars including Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen among others, creating a unique opportunity for emerging players from Europe and other Associate Nations to compete and share the dressing room with some of the biggest names in world cricket.Speaking at the launch, Abhishek Bachchan said ETPL aims to do more than build a cricket league — it wants to inspire and develop young cricket talent in Ireland and across Europe. He highlighted the strong support ETPL has received from the global cricket community, with renowned figures like Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell, Jonty Rhodes, Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis, and Heinrich Klaasen joining the initiative, reinforcing ETPL’s belief that Europe could become cricket’s next major growth hub.”For ETPL, having legends like Rahul associated with this journey is incredibly special because our vision goes beyond building a league, it is about creating a platform that can inspire and nurture the next generation of talent emerging from Irish and broader European Cricket ecosystem. The response from the global cricketing community has been extremely encouraging. The coming together of icons like Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell, Jonty Rhodes, Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, alongside Rahul Dravid reflects the belief in ETPL’s vision and reinforces Europe’s immense potential as cricket’s next major growth frontier,” Bachchan said.Rahul Dravid said he joined ETPL because of its broader mission to grow cricket in Ireland and across Europe through grassroots development and opportunities for young players. He highlighted Dublin’s strong cricketing passion and potential, adding that supporting and nurturing emerging talent has always been important to him and that ETPL can contribute significantly to that goal.”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. 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,” Dravid said.Brian MacNeice, Chair of Cricket Ireland, said, “This is a landmark moment for cricket in Ireland and for the wider European cricket ecosystem. ETPL has the potential to significantly elevate the visibility of cricket, participation growth and quality of cricket playing opportunities for our players across the region while strengthening pathways for future generations.”Trudy Lindblade, CEO, Cricket Scotland “ETPL has the potential to be a significant moment for cricket in Scotland and across Europe. Opportunities like this can help strengthen the sport’s ecosystem, create greater visibility for players, and inspire the next generation of cricketers across the region.”ETPL’s franchise ownership structure brings together an extraordinary mix of cricket legends, entrepreneurs and international investors:- Dublin franchise – 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, Glashin and Samir Shah, with Madhukar Shree as Managing Partner. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)