Sports
R Ashwin begins new chapter after India retirement… joins Rahul Dravid’s team as captain in Europe’s historic T20 league
The former India spinner is set to lead and mentor Dublin Guardians in the European T20 Premier League, marking a fresh leadership role after stepping away from international cricket and IPL.
Former India star Ravichandran Ashwin is all set to begin a brand-new chapter in his cricketing journey.
After retiring from international cricket and the Indian Premier League, Ashwin has now signed up for the newly launched European T20 Premier League (ETPL), where he will reunite with former India coach Rahul Dravid.
The veteran off-spinner will represent the Dublin Guardians, a franchise owned by Rahul Dravid, and will take on a dual role as captain and mentor.
The announcement has quickly become one of the biggest talking points surrounding the ETPL, which is being hailed as Europe’s first major multi-country franchise cricket league.
For fans, the Ashwin-Dravid reunion adds extra excitement.
The duo shared a strong cricketing bond during India’s red-ball dominance over the years, and now they are set to work together once again — this time in franchise cricket.
The ETPL has been launched in collaboration with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
The tournament will feature six franchises representing major European cities: Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
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The inaugural player draft is scheduled for July 2, while the tournament itself will run from August 26 to September 20.
But Ashwin and Dravid are far from the only big names attached to the competition.
The ETPL has already attracted several global cricketing icons in ownership and leadership roles, including Steve Waugh, Jonty Rhodes, Matthew Hayden, Faf du Plessis, and Heinrich Klaasen.
Interestingly, Faf du Plessis and Klaasen are co-owners of the Rotterdam Dockers, with Faf also taking on captaincy duties.
Several international stars like Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Lungi Ngidi, and Tim David have also committed to the league.
For Ashwin, this marks not just a comeback to franchise cricket, but a significant leadership opportunity on a new global stage.
And for European cricket, the ETPL could be the start of something much bigger.
