Ravichandran Ashwin believes the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) can become an important platform for cricket’s international growth, arguing that franchise competitions built around the T20 format will play a central role in expanding the game ahead of its return to the Olympic Games. As preparations continue for the tournament’s inaugural season, the Dublin Guardians Captain and Mentor also outlined his vision for developing players across Ireland and the wider European cricket landscape.
Speaking to PTI, Ashwin linked the league’s long-term ambitions with cricket’s inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, saying: “Look, I think there’s an Olympics that’s going to happen in a couple of years. And if cricket as a game is pretty serious about making it a global affair, the teams in this league will play a very crucial part in enabling that.”
VIDEO | Former India spinner and Dublin Guardians captain-mentor Ravichandran Ashwin says the European T20 Premier League can play a key role in cricket's global growth ahead of the sport's return to the Olympics, while providing Irish, Scottish and Dutch cricketers with the… pic.twitter.com/NZEjaIOnYA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 2, 2026
T20 seen as the strongest vehicle for expansion
Ashwin believes the shortest format offers the clearest pathway for taking cricket to new audiences and strengthening the sport’s global presence. He said: “Our job will be purely on T20 cricket and how it can get better. And if the game has to become global and it has to become an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is. And that’s how it’s going to become much bigger. And you will see a better sample size of players, which is also very critical for several of these leagues which run through the year. T20 as a sport is here to stay. I’m not too sure about ODI cricket.”
Beyond the broader discussion around formats, Ashwin said the opportunity to contribute to the development of players in Ireland and neighbouring European nations was a major reason behind his involvement with Dublin Guardians. He said: “So, as far as I’m concerned, this is a really, really exciting prospect where we not only believe that we can pick a team and do well in this tournament and also make it a really good place for these players to come in and get better and also have a lasting impact on the tournament.”
Building opportunities for local players
Ashwin said the franchise’s objectives extend beyond results on the field, with a strong emphasis on helping local players benefit from the experience of competing alongside established international cricketers. He added: “We owe it to the Dublin franchise and also Irish cricket in many ways, try and enable them, try and probably provide them with the right amount of exposure and opportunities.”
He continued: “We want to make it about them. And that’s something that we were very clear the first day Rahul (Dravid as team owner) and I spoke about it.”
Ashwin also outlined the culture he hopes to establish within the franchise, adding: “And we will stay very true to that particular formula. And we will put up a culture where cricket is played in a fashion that everyone wants to grow at least by one person every single day.”
The former India spinner also highlighted adaptability as one of the defining qualities required in the modern T20 game, particularly as emerging cricket nations continue to close the gap on more established teams. He said: “You should be able to adapt. The name of the game is adaptation, which is why what happened recently between India and Ireland in that T20 series is a classic example of how conditions can eliminate a lot of aspects of the game that have been developed as a root cause of T20 as a sport.”
Waugh backs ETPL’s long-term ambitions
Ashwin’s vision for the competition was echoed by Amsterdam Flames Co-owner Steve Waugh, who said the tournament’s immediate priority is creating opportunities for players across Europe’s developing cricket nations, while expressing hope that leading England players could feature in future editions. Speaking to PTI, Waugh said: “Well, it wasn’t my choice for that (top English players not being part). And yeah, it’d be nice to have English players there, perhaps sometime in the future.”
He added: “But we’re looking at developing players in Europe that haven’t had the big opportunities in the past. They really haven’t been able to showcase their skills. And this is what this tournament’s about.”
Waugh believes the competition’s quality will become its biggest selling point as the league establishes itself, saying: “It’d be good to have England have more of a presence in the league. Hopefully, once it’s established, obviously, it’s starting in about eight weeks’ time, everybody will see how great this competition is going to be, the quality, the players, the standard.”
With the inaugural ETPL approaching, the league’s leadership continues to position the competition as more than another franchise tournament, presenting it as a long-term investment in European cricket that aims to expand opportunities for players while strengthening the game’s global reach ahead of its Olympic return.
