By Adarsh Chauhan

Dublin [Ireland], May 12 (ANI): Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who is one of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) co-founders and co-owners, said that he expects the league to produce entertainment and see some great cricket being played. He also expressed his desire for ETPL to become one of the most anticipated cricket events on the calendar in future.

The ETPL is a newly launched franchise-based cricket tournament aimed at expanding the reach and popularity of cricket across Europe, 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.

Backed by Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB), the league has received official sanction approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC), making it one of the first major ICC-approved franchise T20 leagues in the region.

Scheduled to take place from August 26 to September 20, 2026, the ETPL has already attracted several prominent names from the worlds of cricket, business, and global investment through its ownership structure. The league features an impressive lineup of cricketing legends, including former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, former West Indies batter Chris Gayle, and former South African cricketers Jonty Rhodes and Faf du Plessis, among others.

Speaking to ANI, Abhishek Bachchan said his goal for ETPL is to establish a world-class cricket tournament in Europe featuring top international talent. He expressed confidence that the league's strong lineup of players reflects its ambitious vision.

Bachchan said he hopes ETPL will deliver entertaining, high-quality cricket while growing into one of the most anticipated events on the cricket calendar over the next few years.

'The expectation, I believe, should be one, to have a world-class cricketing tournament in Europe. And I'm very happy to note that with the kind of people that have already been signed on in terms of players, I think that promise hopefully should come true. When you have some of the best cricketing talent that's going to come and play, I think it kind of speaks a lot about the kind of intention that we have of what we're trying to achieve. So in terms of expectation, you want an entertaining tournament with some great cricket being played. And where do I see it from in another three to five years? Hopefully still around and still being one of the most looked forward to cricketing events on the calendar,' Abhishek said.

ETPL will feature 33 matches, with six city-based franchises -- Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, and Rotterdam.

The Dublin franchise is owned by Rahul Dravid, while the Belfast franchise is backed by Glenn Maxwell and Rohan Lund. The Edinburgh franchise owners are Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, and Rachel Wiseman. Meanwhile, the Glasgow franchise is owned by Vipul Aggarwal alongside Chris Gayle. The Amsterdam franchise brings together Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, and Tim Thomas, while the Rotterdam franchise is owned by a star-studded group comprising Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin, and Samir Shah, with Madhukar Shree serving as Managing Partner.

Abhishek Bachchan said the involvement of cricketing greats like Steve Waugh, Jonty Rhodes, and Rahul Dravid adds immense credibility, experience, and cricketing intelligence to ETPL. He said their presence is a major boost for the league and expressed pride in having them associated with the tournament.

'I think when you have people like Steve Waugh, Jonty Rhodes and Rahul Dravid, I think, you know, the calibre and the quality of the kind of minds that are going to be dictating how the game is played, how the tournament is going to be played is immense. And obviously, we were very keen to get them on board for this very reason, for what they bring to the table, the kind of credibility they bring to the table and their cricketing knowledge and IQ. So I think it's a step in the right direction and we're very, very honoured to have them on board,' the Bollywood actor said.

The ETPL is a joint venture between Cricket Ireland and Rules Global (Rules X). The league is co-founded and co-owned by Cricket Ireland, Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul, and Dhiraj Malhotra. The league is being developed in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. (ANI)