Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has joined European T20 League franchise Dublin Guardians as captain and mentor ahead for the inaugural edition of the competition, the team announced on social media on Friday.

The ETPL is a six-team franchise league based in Europe which is set to be held between August 26 and September 20 across six European cities- Amsterdam, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dublin, Glasgow, and Rotterdam.

The off-spinner’s deal with Dublin Guardians marks his second venture with a global T20 League following his retirement from international cricket and the IPL, after he was signed by the San Francisco Unicorns for the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) season.

The 39-year-old has played just the one game for his side against LA Knight Riders and went wicketless on debut, registering figures of 0/24 from his two overs.

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Ashwin was also initially supposed to ply his trade for the Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder for the 2025-26 season but pulled out of the tournament last minute after sustaining a knee injury.

The off-spinner joins the likes of Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, Steve Smith, Tim David, Mitchell Marsh as some of the high profile signings who will be in action when the tournament begins.

Former India cricketer and head coach Rahul Dravid is the owner of the Dublin Guardians.

Published on Jul 01, 2026