The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has taken its first major step towards global relevance, announcing the owners of its inaugural franchises – Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Belfast – at an international press conference in Sydney. Officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the league is scheduled to debut in late August 2026, entering a crowded but lucrative global T20 ecosystem dominated by the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).
While the IPL remains the undisputed commercial powerhouse of world cricket and the BBL a cornerstone of Australia’s summer sporting calendar, ETPL is positioning itself as Europe’s answer to elite franchise cricket – built on governance, long-term sustainability and regional growth rather than short-term spectacle.
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The league’s first franchise owners underscore that ambition. Amsterdam will be led by former Australian captain and World Cup winner Steve Waugh, alongside Olympic hockey legend Jamie Dwyer and business leader Tim Thomas. Edinburgh will be owned by former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills, while Belfast will be led by Australian T20 star Glenn “The Big Show” Maxwell, in partnership with former NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund.
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Much like the early years of the IPL and BBL, ETPL is leveraging the credibility of global cricketing figures to establish trust, attract talent and build fan engagement in new markets. However, its mission differs. Where the IPL thrives on scale and star power, and the BBL on mass domestic appeal, ETPL is targeting Europe’s under-commercialised cricket ecosystem – home to 34 ICC member nations and nearly one-third of the global cricketing community.
For Waugh, the decision to invest was driven by long-term thinking rather than the rapid expansion often associated with franchise cricket. “I’ve always been selective about where I invest my time and energy in cricket,” he said. “Franchise cricket has expanded quickly, but this opportunity stood out because it is driven by aspiration and long-term thinking. This is about helping uphold the standards and spirit of cricket while supporting its growth into Europe, which remains the game’s last great frontier.”
Owned and operated through a joint venture between Rules Global (Rules X) and Cricket Ireland, the league is co-founded by Indian actor and sports entrepreneur Abhishek Bachchan, alongside Saurav Banerjee, Priyanka Kaul and Dhiraj Malhotra. Strategic partnerships with Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association further mirror the strong board alignments that underpin successful leagues like the IPL.
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Bachchan described the announcement as a statement of intent rather than a spectacle. “My journey across sport has taught me that meaningful franchises are built with intent, integrity, and vision,” he said. “These three teams represent exactly that. Anchored in strong partnerships with national boards and the greats of the game, ETPL will bring together established international stars alongside emerging talent from Europe, while upholding the highest standards of governance and transparency.”
The timing is significant. With England, Ireland and Scotland hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and Italy qualifying for the 2026 edition, Europe’s cricket profile is rising rapidly. ETPL aims to capitalise on this momentum, providing a professional platform for emerging European talent to compete alongside international stars in a globally aligned broadcast window.
If the IPL represents cricket’s commercial peak and the BBL its family-friendly mainstream success, European T20 Premier League aspires to become the sport’s next growth frontier, measured, credible and distinctly European.
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