European T20 Premier League Set to Launch: Fixtures Announced for Inaugural Season
A New Era for European Cricket Begins
The anticipation for a transformative chapter in European cricket has officially commenced. The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) revealed its match schedule for the first season, which is slated to run from August 26 to September 20, 2026, at two prestigious venues: Voorburg Cricket Club in the Netherlands and Malahide Cricket Club in Ireland.
The opening match of the ETPL, spearheaded by Abhishek Bachchan, will take place at Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague. This inaugural clash will feature the Rotterdam Dockers, captained by Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, and Heinrich Klaasen, going head-to-head against the Amsterdam Flames, led by Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer, as per the official announcement from ETPL.
Initially, the competition will unfold at Voorburg before transitioning to Malahide in Dublin for the latter part of the league. Dublin will also host the Qualifier and the Final, where the first-ever ETPL champions will be determined.
Jonty Rhodes, Co-Owner of the Rotterdam Dockers, expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s an honor to kick off the inaugural ETPL season. We are eager to showcase Rotterdam’s enthusiasm and spirit on the field and share this historic occasion with our local supporters.”
Steve Waugh, Co-Owner of the Amsterdam Flames, remarked, “The opening match presents a wonderful chance to introduce the Amsterdam Flames and the style of cricket we aspire to play. We are thrilled to be part of this thrilling new chapter in European cricket and can’t wait to get started.”
Over a span of 26 days, 32 matches will feature six teams from various parts of Europe competing for the league's first title, uniting some of the most prominent names in international cricket with Europe’s top local talent.
Star players such as Tim David, Steve Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh, Lungi Ngidi, and Trent Boult will share the field with leading European athletes like Paul Stirling, Scott Edwards, Josh Little, Jai Moondra, George Dockrell, Aryan Dutt, Max O’Dowd, Richie Berrington, and Matthew Cross, forming one of the most thrilling player rosters ever seen in European cricket.
The second match, scheduled for August 27, will feature Rahul Dravid supporting his Dublin Guardians, captained by Ravichandran Ashwin, as they take on Glenn Maxwell’s Belfast Wolves.
Rahul Dravid, Co-Owner of the Dublin Guardians, stated, “It’s exhilarating to represent Dublin in Europe’s newest franchise T20 league. We are looking forward to an exciting inaugural season and to creating something that the city and its fans can take pride in.”
Matthew Hayden, Co-Owner of Glasgow Cosmic, added, “The ETPL signifies a pivotal moment for Scottish cricket, and Glasgow Cosmic is honored to be part of this journey. We are eager to make our impact from the very first ball.”
Each franchise will compete against every other team twice in a round-robin format. The team that finishes at the top of the league standings will secure a direct spot in the Final, while the second and third-placed teams will battle it out in the Qualifier for the last championship spot.
Dhiraj Malhotra, Co-Founder of the European T20 Premier League, commented, “The announcement of the fixtures marks another key milestone in our journey toward the inaugural season. In just 29 days, Europe will witness the launch of its own franchise T20 league. We are excited for the first ball to be bowled and for the ETPL to start making its own history.”
Warren Deutrom, ETPL Board Director, stated, “With the fixtures now finalized and tickets set to go on sale later this week, excitement is mounting for the ETPL’s inaugural season. We look forward to welcoming fans to a month filled with world-class cricket, where Europe’s finest talent will share the stage with some of the biggest names in the sport.”