Former India cricketer and head coach Rahul Dravid has taken on a new avatar as co-owner of the Dublin Guardians franchise in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL), which gets underway on 25 August. Stepping away from the dugout for the first time in years, Dravid described the move as 'a little bit out of my comfort zone' — and precisely because of that, something he finds 'exciting.'

A Star-Studded League Launch

The ETPL's first edition carries significant Indian fingerprints. Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is a co-founder of the European city-based league, while former India internationals Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, and Vijay Shankar will feature on the pitch representing their respective franchises. The Amsterdam Flames, another franchise in the competition, count Australian greats Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer among those shaping the team, with Glenn Maxwell also part of the playing roster in the league.

Why Dravid Said Yes

Speaking to JioStar, Dravid explained that the calibre of people associated with the league was a decisive factor. 'There are some really good people to work with and be associated with the league as well. The Amsterdam Flames have Steve Waugh, someone I've always admired, and Jamie Dwyer setting up that team. Glenn Maxwell is part of one team, and even the league owners; just the passion that someone like Abhishek Bachchan has for the sport and the team that he has put up to set up the league felt like a good bunch of people trying to do something really nice,' he said.

The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning coach added that the role demands skills far beyond what he has practised through his playing and coaching career. 'I've always been involved as a coach or as a player, but trying to set up things and appoint coaches and players and marketing and finance, stuff that is a little bit out of my comfort zone, is exciting nevertheless,' Dravid said.

Cricket's Growth in Europe

Dravid articulated a clear vision for why Europe represents a meaningful frontier for the sport. 'I've always felt that there is a lot of talent and a lot of opportunity to grow the sport in Europe. It felt like the right platform to be able to grow the sport in Europe and to try and make an effort as a former cricketer to have more people participate in the game, recognising that cricket needs to grow and be available to a lot more boys and girls to be able to play the game,' he said.

This comes amid a broader global push by cricket's governing bodies to expand the sport's footprint beyond its traditional strongholds in South Asia, the Caribbean, and England. The ETPL is one of several franchise leagues that have emerged in non-traditional cricket markets in recent years.

Dravid on T20 Versus Test Cricket

Dravid also weighed in on one of the sport's most enduring debates — the relationship between T20 cricket and the longer formats. While he maintained that Test cricket remains 'the number one format of the game,' he acknowledged T20's indispensable role as a growth engine. 'If you want to grow the game of cricket and not make it a niche game that's played only by a few countries, and we want the next generation to be able to enjoy, follow and play the game, then T20 is a great format to be able to promote the game, especially in this part of the world,' he said.

He added that T20 serves as an entry point, with longer formats potentially following once a cricketing culture takes root. 'When you're starting, when you're trying to take your early steps, I think the T20 format's the perfect format,' Dravid said. As the ETPL begins its inaugural season, Dravid's involvement as a franchise owner — rather than a coach or player — signals a new chapter in his post-playing career.