Dravid, Ashwin part of Indian consortium to buy European T20 Premier League franchise: Reports

Former India cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are reportedly part of an Indian consortium set to acquire a franchise in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

The consortium has agreed a deal to buy the Glasgow-based franchise in the six-team tournament taking place this summer, according to reports.

The ETPL is also looking to sell the second Dutch franchise, which is based in Rotterdam, to a group of South African investors fronted by ex-Proteas players Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes, the report said.

It is likely that the two franchises will be officially announced at an event later this month.

The ETPL franchises in Amsterdam, Belfast and Edinburgh have been sold to investors from Australia and New Zealand in January.

The only ETPL city franchise yet be sold is the one based out of Dublin, and there has been interest from a variety of different parties, including owners of at least two teams in The Hundred, the report added.

It is not yet known whether Ashwin will play in the ETPL. The 39-year-old retired from international cricket in December 2024 and from the Indian Premier League last year.

He had expressed a desire to broaden his horizons in global franchise leagues and was set to play in the most recent of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) for Sydney Thunder before pulling out due to an injury.

The spin-bowling all-rounder suffered a knee injury while training in Chennai last December and has been in rehabilitation following surgery.

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“Ashwin’s involvement is an intriguing one and raises the tantalising prospect of him playing in the ETPL in what would be a major coup for the organisers,” the report said.

Dravid’s decison to align himself with a franchise based out of Glasgow could be due to his earlier connection with Scottish cricket.

“He played for Scotland as an overseas professional for a season in 2003 when they still participated in English county cricket limited-overs competitions,” according to the report.

India batting great Dravid played 11 games in the National Cricket League where he made 600 runs including three centuries. The 53-year-old former captain also served as the head coach of the India men’s cricket team from November 2021 till June 2024.