The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) has announced the schedule for its inaugural season, with the six-team tournament set to run from August 26 to September 20 across the Netherlands and Ireland.
The opening match will be played at Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague, where Jonty Rhodes-backed Rotterdam Dockers will face Steve Waugh’s Amsterdam Flames. The tournament will then move to Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin, which will host the remaining league matches, the Qualifier, and the final.
The second fixture on August 27 will see Rahul Dravid-backed Dublin Guardians, led by Ravichandran Ashwin, take on Glenn Maxwell’s Belfast Wolves.
The 32-match competition will feature six European city-based franchises and international stars including Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh, Trent Boult, Tim David, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Lungi Ngidi, alongside leading European cricketers such as Paul Stirling, Scott Edwards, Josh Little, Max O’Dowd, Aryan Dutt, Richie Berrington, George Dockrell, and Matthew Cross.
Jonty Rhodes, Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid, and Matthew Hayden welcomed the launch of the league, describing it as an important step in expanding franchise cricket across Europe.
Each team will play every other side twice in a round-robin format. The team finishing first in the standings will qualify directly for the final, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in the Qualifier for the remaining spot in the title match.