United News of Bangladesh

India batting great Rahul Dravid has been announced as the owner of the Dublin Guardians franchise ahead of the launch of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), the organisers confirmed on Monday. The ETPL finalised its six-team structure at a launch event attended by franchise owners and senior cricket officials from across Europe. The league will feature teams from Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Dravid said he was attracted to the league due to its long-term vision of developing cricket in Europe through grassroots growth and creating opportunities for emerging players. “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 in a statement. Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has been appointed captain of the Dublin Guardians. The team will compete against franchises representing major European cities including Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. “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 added. The event was attended by several prominent figures, including ETPL co-founders Abhishek Bachchan, Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra, as well as international cricket personalities and officials from Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. The inaugural ETPL season is scheduled to run from August 26 to September 20 and will feature several international stars, including Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Mitchell Santner, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen. Franchise ownership across the league includes notable names such as Glenn Maxwell in Belfast, Chris Gayle in Glasgow, Steve Waugh in Amsterdam, and Jonty Rhodes and Faf du Plessis in Rotterdam. #Via NDTV