Ravichandran Ashwin will lead a team that will be owned by Rahul Dravid later this year. The new competition is set to start this year. Dravid will take over a new rule.
Batter, wicketkeeper, captain, coach, and now owner. Rahul Dravid is set to add to his various feathers and wear a new cap in the cricketing world. The former Indian cricket team skipper and head coach has been named as the co-owner of Dublin’s franchise ahead of the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), which is scheduled to take place later this year.
The franchise has been named the Dublin Guardians, and Dravid will work with Ravichandran Ashwin once again. The veteran Indian cricketer will lead the franchise in the first season of the league as per BBC Sports.
For those unversed, Ashwin retired from international cricket in December 2024 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025. However, he revealed he wants to continue playing the sport in an overseas T20 league. He was set to play the Big Bash League (BBL) last summer but missed out due to a knee injury. The 39-year-old will also play the Major League Cricket (MLC) in 2026 for the San Francisco Unicorns.
Rahul Dravid Reacts
Dravid opened up on his decision to buy the team and claimed he was the larger vision behind the tournament that attracted him to make the investment.
“What attracted me to ETPL was the larger vision behind it, the opportunity to help grow cricket in Europe by strengthening grassroots development and creating pathways for emerging talent across Ireland and Europe. Dublin already has a passionate cricketing community and enormous potential for growth. Nurturing the next generation has always been important to me, and I believe ETPL can play a meaningful role in that journey,” said Dravid in a statement issued by the league.
The league itself is co-owned by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan alongside Rules Sport Tech, a private Indian company.
