India legend Ravichandran Ashwin to Captain and Mentor New Team Owned by Ex-India Coach

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has signed up as captain and mentor for the Dublin Guardians in the first season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), as it was confirmed by Cricinfo on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old, who retired from the IPL after the 2025 season, is currently playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket 2026 in the USA.

Ravi Ashwin to play for Rahul Dravid’s Team

Former India captain Rahul Dravid owns the Dublin franchise and Ashwin will add his vast tactical experience to a league featuring six teams across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Ashwin retired from Indian cricket and was also selected for the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, but he couldn’t play due to an injury. The Indian legend has been venturing across the globe after the cool-off period, and the ETPL stint is his latest crack at the franchise tournaments.

The ETPL, Europe’s first ICC-sanctioned multi-country franchise T20 competition, is run in partnership with Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Matches will be played from 26 August to 20 September 2026 at venues including Malahide (Dublin), Stormont (Belfast), The Grange (Edinburgh and Glasgow) and grounds in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

South African all-rounder Faf du Plessis will captain and co-own the Rotterdam Dockers alongside Heinrich Klaasen. The squad also includes Anrich Nortje, Donovan Ferreira and Mitchell Owen. Mitchell Marsh leads the Amsterdam Flames, joined by Steven Smith, Michael Bracewell and Dutch locals Scott Edwards and Bas de Leede. Tim David is also linked to Amsterdam.

Glasgow Cosmic features Lungi Ngidi, Duan Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Finn Allen and Moises Henriques (as a European local), with Matthew Hayden as coach and co-owner. Edinburgh Castle Rockers are captained by Mitchell Santner and include Trent Boult, with James Foster as coach.

The player draft for remaining spots takes place on 2 July. The league blends global stars with local talent to boost cricket’s growth across Europe.