European T20 Premier League (ETPL): Teams, Format & 2026 Schedule
European T20 Premier League (ETPL) is a new professional Twenty20 cricket competition scheduled to launch in August 2026. The league is designed as a city-based franchise tournament focused on growing elite cricket and commercial engagement across Europe.
The Rise of ETPL: ETPL is strategically scheduled to fill gaps in the global cricket calendar, attracting fans from both Europe and the international diaspora. Leveraging ICC sanctioning, partnerships with Cricket Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands, and a mix of local and international stars. As a result, the ETPL represents a new era of cricket, combining sport, entertainment, and community engagement.
Cricket News
CE Picks: One to Watch Per Franchise
Our pre-season spotlight player from each of the six ETPL franchises.
Australia · Captain · Allrounder
Australia T20I captain. Explosive top-order allrounder and one of the marquee names in global franchise cricket.
New Zealand · Captain · Left-arm spin
New Zealand white-ball captain. One of the most consistent left-arm spinners in T20 cricket globally.
Australia · Owner-player · Allrounder
5 T20I centuries, joint world record with Rohit Sharma. ICC T20 World Cup winner 2021.
England · Allrounder
Reached No.1 ICC T20I allrounder ranking in 2024. Scored 103 off 42 balls vs Pakistan at Trent Bridge (2021).
South Africa · Captain · Batter
T20I high score 119 off 56 balls. Captain and co-owner of Rotterdam Dockers.
India · Captain + Mentor
First Indian to reach 50 T20I wickets. One of the greatest off-spinners in cricket history. Dublin's captain and mentor.
Confirmed ETPL Franchises 2026
All six ETPL franchises have been confirmed for the inaugural 2026 season, running from 26 August to 20 September 2026 across multiple European host cities.
Home: Netherlands | Status: Confirmed ✅
The Flames are one of the three founding ETPL franchises. The squad includes Australia T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, power-hitter Tim David, Scott Edwards (Netherlands captain and first European player signed by any ETPL franchise), and vice-captain Bas de Leede.
Key Players
Curtis Campher
2026 Draft Pick
Kyle Klein
2026 Draft Pick
Tim Pringle
2026 Draft Pick
Aryan Dutt
2026 Draft Pick
Jordan Neill
2026 Draft Pick
Max O’Dowd
2026 Draft Pick
Ownership
Home: Scotland | Status: Confirmed ✅
Edinburgh’s franchise is owned by a New Zealand-based consortium led by former internationals Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum, in partnership with Otago Cricket. Confirmed signings include Mitchell Santner as captain and Scotland’s Brandon McMullen.
Key Players
Gareth Delany
2026 Draft Pick
Ross Adair
2026 Draft Pick
Jack Jarvis
2026 Draft Pick
Charlie Tear
2026 Draft Pick
Safyaan Sharif
2026 Draft Pick
Finlay McCreath
2026 Draft Pick
Ownership
Home: Northern Ireland | Status: Confirmed ✅
The Belfast franchise brings professional city-based T20 cricket to Northern Ireland for the first time. Australian international Glenn Maxwell joins as co-owner and player alongside Rohan Lund of Floodlight Capital. Maxwell is a member of Australia’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning squad of 2021 and one of the most destructive all-rounders in the modern game.
Key Players
Matthew Humphreys
2026 Draft Pick
Fred Klaassen
2026 Draft Pick
Tim Tector
2026 Draft Pick
Paul Stirling
2026 Draft Pick
Zainullah Ihsan
2026 Draft Pick
Alexander Roy
2026 Draft Pick
Ownership
Home: Scotland | Status: Confirmed ✅
The Glasgow Cosmic franchise is owned by the Mugafi Group with Tansha Batra. Chris Gayle serves as co-owner and global ETPL ambassador. Matthew Hayden is involved in ownership and management guidance.
Confirmed Squad 2026
Finn Allen
New Zealand · Batter
Liam Livingstone
England · Allrounder
Kamindu Mendis
Sri Lanka · Allrounder
Keshav Maharaj
South Africa · Bowler
Lungi Ngidi
South Africa · Bowler
Richie Berrington
Scotland · Batter
George Munsey
Scotland · Batter
Michael Leask
Scotland · Allrounder
Brad Currie
Scotland · Bowler
Matthew Cross
Scotland · Wicket-keeper
Paul van Meekeren
Netherlands · Bowler
Chris McBride
Scotland · Batter
Oliver Davidson
Scotland · Allrounder
Gerhard Erasmus
Namibia · Allrounder
Ali Khan
USA · Bowler
Moises Henriques
Portugal · Allrounder
Ownership
⚓ Rotterdam Dockers — Netherlands
Home: Netherlands | Status: Confirmed ✅
The Rotterdam Dockers are owned by a South African-led consortium. Faf du Plessis is confirmed as captain.
Confirmed Squad 2026
Anrich Nortje
South Africa · Bowler
Heinrich Klaasen
South Africa · Wicket-keeper
Sandeep Lamichhane
Nepal · Bowler
Logan van Beek
Netherlands · Allrounder
Roelof van der Merwe
Netherlands · Allrounder
Michael Levitt
Netherlands · Batter
Vikramjit Singh
Netherlands · Batter
Jai Moondra
Ireland · Bowler
David Wiese
Namibia · Allrounder
Mitchell Owen
Australia · Allrounder
Ryan Klein
Netherlands · Bowler
Jasper Davidson
Scotland · Bowler
Saqib Zulfiqar
Netherlands · Allrounder
Ben Manenti
Italy · Allrounder
Donovan Ferreira
South Africa · Wicket-keeper
Shubham Ranjane
USA · Allrounder
Ownership
Home: Ireland | Status: Confirmed ✅
The Dublin Guardians are owned by a consortium led by Rahul Dravid.
Key Players
R Ashwin
Captain and Mentor
Benjamin Calitz
2026 Draft Pick
George Dockrell
2026 Draft Pick
Matthew Hollard
2026 Draft Pick
Craig Young
2026 Draft Pick
Noah Croes
2026 Draft Pick
Chris Greaves
2026 Draft Pick
Ownership
ETPL Player Draft 2026
The ETPL Player Draft 2026 has now concluded. All six franchises have confirmed their local draft selections ahead of the inaugural season starting 26 August 2026. Players were selected from the eligible pool under ICC Player Eligibility Regulations for Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.
ETPL Format & Schedule 2026
🗓️ ETPL Starts: 26 August 2026
The inaugural season will be staged across grounds in Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands, with the final hosting plan to be confirmed in the weeks before the tournament.
26 Aug
Start Date
6
City Franchises
33
Matches
T20
Format
$1.5M
Salary Cap / Season
The tournament will feature 33 matches across six city-based franchises from 26 August to 20 September 2026. The ETPL uses the Twenty20 format with matches limited to 20 overs per side across multiple European host cities.
Squad Composition Rules
17
Players per squad
5–7
Overseas players
Min 8
Local players total
Min 1
European Associate
Min 1
Global Associate
The tournament is ICC-sanctioned and structured to sit within the global T20 calendar, avoiding overlap with major international events to maximise player availability. Each franchise operates with a salary budget of approximately $1.5 million per season, with franchise rights sold for $15 million over ten years.
📋 Full match-by-match fixtures will be published here as confirmed by the league. Sign up to be notified the moment the schedule drops.
🔔Key People Behind the ETPL
Abhishek Bachchan
Co-founder and co-owner. Bollywood actor and one of the principal driving forces behind the league’s launch.
Steve Waugh
Former Australia captain and franchise investor. Cited the league’s long-term European vision as key to his involvement.
Glenn Maxwell
Irish Wolves Belfast co-owner and player. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup winner 2021.
Kyle Mills
Edinburgh Castle Rockers co-owner. Former New Zealand fast bowler and ex-ICC No.1 ranked ODI bowler.
Where to Watch ETPL 2026
Official broadcast partners for the European T20 Premier League 2026 have been confirmed.
🇬🇧 UK & Ireland
TNT Sports / HBO Max
🇮🇳 Indian Subcontinent
Star Sports / JioHotstar
🇺🇸 USA & Canada
Willow / Cricbuzz
MENA & SE Asia
Cricbuzz
Broadcast partnerships confirmed by @etplofficial. Specific streaming details to be confirmed closer to the 26 August start date.
Why ETPL matters for European cricket
European cricket participation and viewership have grown steadily over the past decade, driven by diaspora communities, domestic leagues, and increased international exposure. However, Europe has lacked a top-tier professional franchise competition with a clear regional focus.
ETPL is positioned to address this gap by providing a consistent, high-visibility platform for elite cricket in Europe, supporting player development, commercial partnerships, and fan engagement across multiple markets.
Viewership Highlights (Dec 2025)
- Cricket is the second most-watched sport worldwide with 2.5 billion fans.
- Asia dominates viewership, with India and Pakistan leading globally.
- UK and Australia remain strong cricket markets with high per-capita engagement.
- South Africa anchors African viewership, though smaller compared to Asia.
Comparison Table
| Country/Region | Estimated Audience | Key Insights |
|---|---|---|
 India (Asia)
|
~1 billion+ | India dominates global cricket viewership. The 2023 World Cup final drew 300M live viewers. |
 Pakistan (Asia)
|
~150–200 million | Record-breaking broadcast numbers during ICC tournaments. |
 United Kingdom (Europe)
|
~30–40 million | Strong following during Ashes and ICC events. |
 Australia (Oceania)
|
~25–30 million | Big Bash League and internationals drive viewership. |
 South Africa (Africa)
|
~20–25 million | Leads African cricket viewership, with growth in Kenya and Zimbabwe. |
Betting and ETPL (UK and EU context)
Cricket betting markets for European competitions are offered by licensed operators in the UK and EU, subject to local regulation and consumer protection rules and at present UK players can bet on the IPL and other leagues here.
Betting markets for the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) are expected to become available closer to the league’s launch and may include match odds, player performance markets, and tournament outcomes, depending on operator coverage.
Amsterdam Flames enter as early favourites on the strength of their squad depth, with Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Rotterdam Dockers rated as the closest challengers. See our full predictions and odds analysis in the ETPL Betting Guide.
All betting-related content on Cricket Enthusiast is provided for informational purposes only and is restricted to users aged 18 and over.
For an explanation of how cricket betting odds work, including live betting and odds movement, see our Cricket Betting Guide .
Who Will Win ETPL 2026?
Amsterdam Flames enter as early pre-season favourites on the strength of their squad depth, with Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Rotterdam Dockers rated as the closest challengers. The Amsterdam vs Rotterdam rivalry has already been flagged as one of the tournament's most anticipated matchups.
Full ETPL Outright Odds Analysis