The global franchise cricket ecosystem continues to attract high-profile investors, with two of India’s most prominent cricket figures preparing to enter the ownership landscape.
Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are part of an Indian investment consortium that has agreed to acquire the Glasgow-based franchise in the upcoming European T20 Premier League, sources have told cricexec.
The six-team competition is scheduled to launch later this year and is being developed through collaboration between the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.
Glasgow franchise deal adds Indian star power to ETPL
The involvement of Dravid and Ashwin marks one of the most notable investments in the new European T20 Premier League, which has been steadily attracting international cricket names to its ownership structure.
The Glasgow franchise will become one of six teams competing in the league’s inaugural season. Other teams in the competition will represent Amsterdam, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and Rotterdam.
Several franchises have already been sold to investors with strong links to international cricket. Amsterdam is owned by a group led by Australian legend Steve Waugh alongside Olympic gold medallist Jamie Dwyer and business executive Tim Thomas.
The Edinburgh franchise is backed by former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills, while the Belfast team is owned by Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in partnership with businessman Rohan Lund.
According to sources, the Rotterdam-based franchise is also close to being finalised with a group of South African investors led by former Proteas players Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes.
Dublin remains final franchise yet to be sold
While most teams have now secured ownership groups, one franchise location remains available.
The Dublin franchise remains unsold, though it has attracted interest from several potential investors, including ownership groups linked to at least two teams competing in The Hundred.
Earlier reporting from BBC Sport indicated that franchise rights in the competition were sold for GBP 11.1 million (approx. US$ 15 million) over a 10-year period, highlighting the financial ambitions behind the new European tournament.
Teams in the league are expected to operate with a salary budget of roughly GBP 1.1 million (approx. US$ 1.5 million) per season.
Ashwin’s involvement could extend beyond ownership
Ashwin’s participation in the consortium also raises the possibility that the veteran spinner could feature in the competition as a player.
The 39-year-old stepped away from international cricket in December 2024 and also retired from the Indian Premier League last year. Across his international career, Ashwin represented India in 106 Test matches, 116 One-Day Internationals and 65 T20 Internationals, collecting a combined total of 765 wickets.
The off-spinning all-rounder had previously explored opportunities in global franchise leagues and had agreed to play in Australia’s Big Bash League with Sydney Thunder before a knee injury suffered during training in Chennai required surgery and rehabilitation.
Dravid’s Scottish connection adds unique dimension
Dravid’s involvement with the Glasgow franchise also carries a historical link to Scottish cricket.
In 2003, the former India Captain spent a season playing as an overseas professional for Scotland when the side participated in England’s domestic limited-overs competitions. During that stint, Dravid played 11 matches in the National Cricket League, scoring 600 runs including three centuries.
Dravid later went on to serve as Head Coach of the India Men’s team from November 2021 until June 2024 following a distinguished international playing career.
Across formats, the former batter appeared in 164 Test matches and 344 One-Day Internationals for India, scoring nearly 25,000 international runs and registering 48 centuries.
European T20 Premier League targets August–September launch
The European T20 Premier League is scheduled to run from 26 August to 20 September and is being developed with the involvement of Bollywood actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan and his partners at Rules X.
The tournament is expected to overlap with England’s Test series against Pakistan, which could limit the participation of multi-format England players during the window.
However, with the 2026 edition of The Hundred scheduled earlier in the summer, players contracted only for white-ball cricket could theoretically be available to participate, subject to No-Objection Certificates from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
With franchise ownership now drawing investors from across cricket’s global ecosystem, the entry of Dravid and Ashwin into the ownership group further underscores the growing commercial appeal of the European T20 Premier League as it prepares for its inaugural season.
