European T20 Premier League – new Europe-based league on the cards
The long-awaited European T20 Premier League (ETPL) is finally set to take off later this year. After several delays, the Europe-based franchise league now looks ready to become a reality.
The six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL) will be played across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. All three nations will be featuring in the 2026 T20 World Cup with Scotland replacing Bangladesh recently.
The league was originally planned to launch in 2019 under the Euro Slam T20 banner but never got off the ground. This time, organisers appear confident of a full rollout. An official announcement was made in Sydney on 20th Jan.
The ETPL ownership group features some big cricket names. Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell are among the franchise owners. Former New Zealand players Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum are also part of the ownership group.
T20 leagues and franchise-cricket have been on the rise over the last decade. And, with the upcoming T20 World Cup now featuring an increased 20 teams, interest in the shortest format is at its peak. From the European region, England and Ireland have played in past editions while Italy have secured qualification for the first time in 2026.
European T20 Premier League Owners
The Amsterdam franchise (Flames) will be owned by Steve Waugh, former Australia captain and World Cup winner. He is joined by Jamie Dwyer, a five-time World Player of the Year and Olympic gold medallist and Tim Thomas, former CEO of the Centre for Australia-India Relations. Mitchell Marsh is likely to be the captain of the side while Netherlands captain Scott Edwards will also be in the team.
The Edinburgh team will be owned by Nathan McCullum along with Kyle Mills, the former New Zealand fast bowler and former ICC No.1-ranked ODI bowler. Mitchell Santner is the first signing.
The Belfast franchise is going to be promoted by Glenn Maxwell, alongside Rohan Lund, the former Group CEO of NRMA. Strategic partners for the team will be announced later.
Several top international players are expected to take part in the European T20 Premier League. Steven Smith and Mitchell Marsh are among the stars likely to appear in the inaugural season. Waugh revealed there are conversations with Tim David as well.
The league is co-owned by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who has been a co-owner of teams in the Indian Super League for football (Chennaiyin FC), Pro Kabaddi League (Jaipur Pink Panthers) and Indian Street Premier League (Majhi Mumbai).
This is his first involvement in overseas sports franchises.
European T20 Premier League Schedule & Format
The inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) season is scheduled to run from August 26 to September 20. It will be a six-team, 34-match competition.
The August-September window means the league may overlap slightly with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). However, it will avoid clashes with England’s The Hundred and Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.
Based on current schedules, the ETPL will begin around 10 days after The Hundred final. The CPL dates are yet to be announced but are also expected to fall in the August-September window.
The European T20 Premier League is ICC’s first multi-country franchise league. It is backed by the cricket boards of Netherlands (KNCB), Ireland (Cricket Ireland) and Scotland (Cricket Scotland).
Bachchan confirmed that the league is close to finalising an Indian broadcast partner. An official announcement is expected soon.
The ETPL was originally planned for launch last year but was postponed by a year. With teams, owners and schedules now in place, the league appears ready to finally make its debut.