Former Indian legendary cricketer and T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid, famously known as “The Wall”, has stepped into franchise cricket ownership after being announced as the co-owner of Dublin-based side Dublin Guardians in the upcoming European T20 Premier League.
The tournament is scheduled to start from August 2026 and is backed by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan in collaboration with Rule Sport Tech.
Rahul Dravid has been named co-owner of Dublin Guardians
Rahul Dravid, who represented India in a total of 164 Test matches and 244 ODIs before serving as head coach of the national team from 2021 to 2024, is now part of the Indian ownership group behind the Dublin franchise.
Meanwhile, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is also expected to feature in the league. Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 and moved away from the IPL last year, is set to lead the Dublin Guardians in the inaugural season.
Let’s dive into this article to find out about the owners of the six European T20 Premier League franchises.
Read More
- Amsterdam Flames – Steve Waugh, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Thomas
(Source: Instagram/etplofficial)
Amsterdam Flames is backed by a high-profile ownership group, which includes former Australian World Cup-winning captain Steve Waugh, hockey great Jamie Dwyer and entrepreneur Tim Thomas, founder of Australis Essence.
The franchise has also included cricket stalwarts in the squad for the inaugural season, with Australia’s T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh set to captain the team. He will be joined by veteran batter Steve Smith and explosive finisher Tim David in the Amsterdam Flames lineup.
- Belfast Franchise – Glenn Maxwell, Rohan Lund
(Source: Instagram/etplofficial)
Belfast Franchise is owned by the Floodlight Capitals Consortium, with Australian all-round star Glenn Maxwell joining the setup as co-owner. The consortium is headed by businessman Rohan Lund, the former chief executive of the NRMA Group.
- Edinburgh Castle Rockers – Kyle Mills Nathan McCullum, Rachel Wiseman
Edinburgh Castle Rockers is owned by a New Zealand-based business group, which features former Black Caps cricketers Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum also part of the ownership structure.
New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner will lead the franchise, while fellow Kiwi pace star Trent Boult and England batter Liam Livingstone are set to feature in the squad.
- Dublin Guardians – Indian Consortium led by Rahul Dravid
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid has been named as the owner of Dublin Guardians in the upcoming European T20 Premier League. The franchise will be led by captained by former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during the league’s inaugural season.
- Rotterdam Dockers – Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Glashin, Samir Shah
Rotterdam Dockers is owned by a South African ownership group which features cricket stars Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes as co-owners. Du Plessis is also set to captain the team in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
- Glasgow Mugafians – Chris Gayle, Vipul Aggarwal
Glasgow Mugafians is a Scotland-based franchise from Glasgow and is supported by the Mugafi Group as its founding partner. The team is owned by Tansha Batra, while West Indies cricket icon Chris Gayle has joined the franchise as co-owner and global brand ambassador.
Founded by entrepreneur Vipul Aggarwal, the Mugafi Group will handle the franchise’s commercial operations, digital ecosystem and content strategy as the team aims to expand its global presence.
