After three years of hard work, the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League kicked off in Voorburg with the Dutch derby between Rotterdam Dockers and Amsterdam Flames. Speaking on commentary on JioHotstar on the opening day of the tournament, ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan discussed his desire to bring a competitive T20 league to Europe, why he chose ETPL as his way of foraying into cricket, and the credibility of the names involved in team ownership.
Speaking on JioHotstar, ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan elaborated on his desire to build a credible and competitive league in Europe: “Nothing worth doing is going to be easy. But you have to believe in your dream, and you have to believe in the reasons why you started it. It’s been three years since the inception of this seed of an idea, and my eternal thanks to the team that’s worked with me, to my co-founders, and to the ICC for the kind of faith they’ve bestowed in us. We were very, very concerned about the fact that we wanted to put across a very competitive and very credible league. I’d like to believe that we’ve made a good and auspicious start. It’s wonderful to be here. It’s a beautiful ground, the crowd has been great, and I can’t wait to see all the rest of the teams perform.”
On his thoughts about the league’s kick-off:
“I’m pleased. I’m relieved. We were relieved after the first ball went for runs. Seeing the atmosphere, that’s exactly what we dreamt of, to bring competitive, world-class cricket to Europe, and here we are on the first day. Proof of concept, here we are, the first ball has been bowled, and everybody’s very, very happy, back home and over here as well. Upward and onwards, we hope to build from this”
On wanting to do something in cricket and why he chose ETPL:
“I’m a huge cricket fan, most Indians are. We all love cricket. I’ve been involved in sport for a very, very long time and always wanted to do something in cricket. But my desire was to be able to do it in a place where we could make a difference, where we could bring about some change, and where we could contribute to the local cricketing talent and give them an opportunity and a platform to play against world-class players. I think that’s where the idea came from, and three years later, we are here, giving these younger lads and the local lads the opportunity to enjoy T20 cricket with the best in the world.”
On the interest and excitement around ETPL due to the credibility of the team owners involved:
“There is reasonable interest. I didn’t think people would have this kind of interest, and it’s nice to know that people are tuning in. We’re being shown worldwide, and it’s wonderful. When you see the kind of ownership that’s there, with Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid, Glenn Maxwell and Jonty Rhodes, there’s a certain amount of credibility. They’re truly cricketing royalty, and to see that, if they are involved, this must be something worthy. I’d like to believe that’s where the interest comes from. Now it’s up to the lads in the centre and the kind of cricket that they play. If they can play quality and exciting cricket that’s good to watch, the tournament has very bright days ahead, and we hope to be able to expand from here.”
Watch Belfast Wolves vs Dublin Guardians at 3 PM and Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Glasgow Cosmic at 6:45 PM today in ETPL 2026, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
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