Ajinkya Rahane Wastes No Time After Retirement, Lands New Franchise Deal

Just days after bringing the curtain down on his international career, Ajinkya Rahane has already embarked on the next phase of his cricket journey. The former India captain has signed up for the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL), becoming one of the biggest Indian names to feature in the tournament after making himself available for overseas franchise cricket.

Rahane, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on July 30, had been out of India's plans since 2023. His decision also marked the end of his IPL career, vacating the Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy ahead of the 2027 season.

With BCCI regulations preventing active Indian cricketers from playing in overseas franchise leagues, retirement opened the door for the 38-year-old to explore opportunities abroad.

Rahane Signs For Amsterdam Flames In ETPL

Rahane will represent Amsterdam Flames in the inaugural ETPL after accepting an offer from the franchise co-owned by former Australia captain Steve Waugh. The six-team tournament, backed by the cricket boards of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, will begin on August 26 and aims to strengthen the game's footprint across Europe.

Explaining his decision, Rahane said the opportunity arrived almost immediately after his retirement announcement.

"It's a great opportunity for me. When I announced my retirement...I think the same day this opportunity came up. I took a day to probably think through it. (Flames co-owner) Steve (Waugh), personally, called me and asked me about if I'm interested to play for his team." - PTI

The veteran batter believes his experience can help not only his new franchise but also the development of cricket in Europe.

"The amount of experience I have, the amount of cricket I have played for so many years with a certain attitude, certain mindset, I thought it's a great opportunity for me to go out there, probably create an impact globally."

"Share my experience with other players. So I'm really looking forward to this stint with the ETPL."

Backing Europe's Cricketing Growth

Rahane also praised the rapid progress made by European Associate nations, pointing to Ireland and the Netherlands as examples of teams steadily closing the gap on Full Members.

"See, if you see European teams, you see Ireland, you see Netherlands...and Ireland recently won the series against India. Netherlands, again, on and off, they've been doing really well."

"I played many matches with them, obviously, the World Cup games. The passion which they have for cricket is amazing, their hunger to learn, hunger to get better as a team is amazing."

Part Of A Growing Trend

Rahane's move reflects a growing trend among Indian cricketers choosing global franchise opportunities after retirement. Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar and several other former India players have already signed with overseas leagues in recent months, while the ETPL itself has attracted prominent names as players, mentors and owners.

The league features franchises from Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with legends such as Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh, Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis and Jonty Rhodes associated with various teams.