All you need to know as the European T20 Premier League set for long-awaited launch

The Hundred reached its conclusion little over a week ago, Test cricket and the County Championship has since resumed and perhaps a sense of cricket normality restored until the end of the domestic season.

But ever increasingly, there always seems to be a franchise competition going on in some part of the world.

And for the next few weeks, there will be action outside of England, yet very close to home as the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) finally gets underway.

It may not dominate cricket media like The Hundred, however the ETPL venture presents a significant push of the sport into Europe and the potential to increase exposure across a market of non-traditional cricketing nations, with a fascinating season one cast assembled, though it will remain to be seen if this new series becomes a major hit.

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What is the ETPL?

A new chapter for European cricket bringing together six newly-established franchise teams, representing major cities across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland, with the overriding aim of attracting world-class players, elevating local talent and growing the game across the region in similar fashion to Major League Cricket in USA.

There have been a few false dawns for the first ever ICC-approved multinational franchise T20 league.

In 2019, the first season of the Euro T20 Slam – involving the same national host boards – collapsed just two weeks before the scheduled start due to financial difficulties and logistical concerns, with its sister tournament in Canada experiencing player wage disputes.

The Covid-19 pandemic then later prevented a delayed start in 2020 and shelved plans entirely.

The idea was reignited in 2025 with a rebranded European T20 Premier League under new investors that was sanctioned by the ICC to launch in July that year, only to be postponed once more due to clashes with the ECB sales process of The Hundred franchises and the various parties potentially also interested in acquiring an ETPL stake.

But now seven years later, the competition will finally be getting off the ground.

Who are the teams and how does the tournament format work?

The six teams competing for the inaugural ETPL title are Amsterdam Flames, Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Cosmic and Rotterdam Dockers.

It is double round-robin structure where each team plays each other twice to create a 30-match league phase, with the side finishing first advancing directly to the Final, whilst second and third place meet in a Qualifier (similar to The Hundred).

Dutch outfits Rotterdam and Amsterdam will contest the opening match on August 26 in Voorburg, Netherlands.

This intimate venue will host 17 matches until September 6, at which stage the remainder of the competition will then head to Malahide, Ireland.

Group games run until September 17, with the Qualifier on September 19 and the Final set for 24 hours later on September 20.

Due to ground facilities, all fixtures will be day-time that begin at either 10.30 or 14:15 local time.

Are IPL investors involved?

Given there are no Sunrisers or Super Giants across any of the team identities, IPL ownership groups are not currently on board, but rather a global collective of star-studded former and current players.

Amsterdam Flames are owned by a consortium led by former Australia captain Steve Waugh, Glenn Maxwell is both a captain and co-owner of Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians are fronted by India legend Rahul Dravid, former Kiwi internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills are on board at Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Comic is backed by Matthew Hayden, whilst a South African roster including Jonty Rhodes and Faf du Plessis is in at Rotterdam Dockers.

Abhishek Bachchan, a renowned Indian actor and entrepreneur, is the tournament co-owner along with Indian private sports company Rules Sport Tech to help unlock visibility for the league within that market.

Which English and overseas players are participating?

There are plenty of high-profile names involved for the local crowds to enjoy, many of whom have just been competing in The Hundred.

Former England internationals Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy will line up for Glasgow Comic, Chris Jordan will feature for Belfast Wolves and the big-hitting Aneurin Donald has been drafted in as a replacement at Rotterdam Dockers.

Surrey duo Tom Curran and Laurie Evans have been signed by Edinburgh Castle Rockers, whilst there are two Hampshire representatives at Dublin Guardians in James Vince and Chris Wood.

Elsewhere, Richard Gleeson and David Payne will play for Amsterdam Flames.

Steve Smith (Amsterdam), David Miller (Belfast), Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult (both Edinburgh), Daryl Mitchell (Dublin), Heinrich Klaasen and Anrich Nortje (both Rotterdam) are among the headline international names.

There are three former India internationals involved too with spinner Ravi Ashwin captaining a Dublin Guardians side which also contains batter Vijay Shankar, whilst Ajinkya Rahane will represent Amsterdam Flames as Marsh’s replacement.

There will also be the platform for local players to shine and develop, as well as those selected from other associate nations, which can lead to greater individual opportunities in global franchise leagues and enhance the long-term competitiveness of smaller nations when it comes to future ICC events.

Ireland left-arm seamer Jai Moondra was a first round draft pick for Rotterdam Dockers after his impressive performances on international debut against India earlier this summer and could be one to watch.

Former Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards (Amsterdam Flames) and Scotland opener George Munsey (Glasgow Cosmic) will lead their respective sides as the only European captains.

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