By Utkarsh RathourVoorburg [Netherlands], August 25 (ANI): Bollywood star and sports entrepreneur Abhishek Bachchan is targeting Europe for cricket’s next big expansion, expressing firm confidence that the newly launched European T20 Premier League (ETPL) can capture the continent’s passionate sports audience despite football’s deep-rooted dominance.Speaking from the Netherlands to ANI ahead of the inaugural six-team tournament, ETPL co-founder Bachchan on Tuesday highlighted that European fans already possess a strong foundation of sports literacy and familiarity with cricket, drawing parallels to his early experience investing in India’s Pro Kabaddi League.”It’s the same confidence I had in a cricket-dominated country like India to start a Kabaddi team. I saw similar traits. There’s huge potential. Europe is a wonderful sports market, and what’s wonderful about the audiences and the fans in Europe is that they’re very sport-literate,” Abhishek said.Rather than competing directly with football, the ETPL aims to offer high-quality, family-friendly entertainment while creating a critical ladder for local talent across Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and broader Europe to play alongside international legends, from August 26 to September 20 across two venues.”The nice thing is in Europe, as compared to, say, America, you’re not trying to educate them on the sport. They already know and play cricket. They have a robust county system that goes on across Europe,” he said.”The cricket enthusiasts from all over the country of the Netherlands have all shown up, and it’s wonderful and very heartening,” he added.The ETPL co-founder believes franchise-based leagues can play an important role in developing the sport by increasing participation, improving infrastructure and creating opportunities for emerging talent.”If you look at the last 15 to 20 years, organised franchise-led sporting events have really helped boost the interest in a sport, the playability of a sport, the infrastructure of a sport, newer infrastructure, and the interest,” he said.Abhishek described the ETPL as Europe’s first franchise-based ICC-approved T20 league and said it could help cricket establish a stronger foothold in the region.”I very firmly believe, in all humility, that with a tournament like the ETPL for Europe, which is Europe’s first franchise-based ICC-approved T20 league, it’s going to take the European market by storm,” he said.He also drew a parallel between the ETPL and the impact of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Indian cricket, particularly in creating opportunities for players from smaller towns and regions.”It’s a market which is going to allow and give a platform to talent, local talent from Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the rest of Europe and give them the opportunity. Much like if you see what happened when the IPL first came along,” Abhishek said.According to him, the IPL changed the perception of opportunities available to Indian players by allowing emerging cricketers to share a platform with established stars and coaches.”I do believe that something similar will happen in Europe. Who would have thought that the Netherlands and Scotland are going to compete in a World Cup? And I do hope that with tournaments like the ETPL, it allows these younger talents an opportunity to work with legends of the sport,” he said.Abhishek also pointed to the growing interest in European cricket, citing the response to India’s recent matches in the region.”I can tell you from a ticket sales perspective, the minute that Ireland series got over, our tickets almost sold out within 24 hours,” he said.For the actor, attracting young Europeans who have grown up watching football will depend on the quality of the product rather than trying to directly compete with football.”I think put on an exciting tournament. Give them a tournament, give them an exciting game, that’s competitive. They come out here, they experience the grounds, they have a fun time doing it, and they take it up from there,” Abhishek said.He acknowledged that building a cricket audience in Europe would take time, given football’s long history on the continent.”Nothing happens overnight. Football in Europe did not become the kind of football it is today overnight. It started over 150 years ago. That’s something that you’re competing with,” he said.However, Abhishek stressed that cricket and football can coexist, saying fans should not have to choose between the two sports.”I don’t like to believe that we’re competing; this is a completely different sport. You can support both. I am a huge football fan. I watch football, I watch basketball, I watch cricket, I watch Kabaddi. I watch everything,” he said.He said the focus should ultimately be on delivering high-quality cricket and an enjoyable experience for spectators.”Put on a competitive league, put on top-quality cricket that people see and admire and give them an experience that they’re going to enjoy,” Abhishek said.”It’s about a family; it’s about coming out here, sitting on these grassy knolls, enjoying wonderfully competitive cricket, having a great family and going back, and hopefully that will spark the interest,” he added.ETPL 2026 edition will feature six teams including Amsterdam Flames, Rotterdam Dockers, Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic, with each side playing the other five twice in the league stage, making up 30 matches.The tournament will begin at Voorburg Cricket Club in the Netherlands before moving to Malahide Cricket Club in Ireland from September 9.The top-ranked team will secure a direct berth in the final, while the second- and third-placed teams will contest the qualifier on September 19. The final is scheduled for September 20 at Malahide.The inaugural season will feature several prominent international names, including former India captain Ajinkya Rahane and veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Australia’s Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis and David Miller, New Zealand’s Trent Boult and England’s Liam Livingstone are also set to take part. (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.)