Rahul Dravid enters European T20 Premier league, buys Dublin Guardians franchise

Cricket’s global expansion push has taken a major step forward with Europe emerging as the sport’s next franchise frontier. The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) on Monday confirmed Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid as the owner of the Dublin Guardians, finalising the league’s six-team structure ahead of its 2026 debut.

The development signals a strong push to establish Europe as a new growth market for franchise T20 cricket, backed by administrators, investors, and international stars.

The announcement was made at a landmark ETPL event in Dublin, where Dravid was formally unveiled as the franchise owner. The



gathering also brought together league stakeholders, franchise representatives, and senior European cricket officials to mark the completion of the inaugural team line-up.

“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 on the occassion. “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."