Cricket and hockey icons gathered at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen ahead of the inaugural ETPL season
The ICC-sanctioned European T20 Premier League runs from August 26 to September 20 across the Netherlands and Ireland
The six-team franchise tournament kicks off with the Rotterdam Dockers facing the Amsterdam Flames in Voorburg
Ahead of the highly anticipated inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), sporting legends and franchise co-owners converged at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen to catch the India-Netherlands men’s fixture at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026.
The cross-sport gathering featured ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan, Dublin Guardians co-owner Rahul Dravid, and Amsterdam Flames co-owners Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer. Following the match, Bachchan met with Harmanpreet Singh and the Indian hockey squad to extend his best wishes for the remainder of their World Cup campaign.
A New Frontier For T20 Cricket
The star-studded turnout serves as a prelude to the launch of the ICC-sanctioned franchise league, which gets underway on August 26, 2026. Running through September 20, the 26-day tournament will feature six city-based franchises playing across two primary European hubs: Voorburg in the Netherlands and Malahide in Ireland.
Reflecting on the unique sports crossover and his time at the venue, Abhishek Bachchan shared:
"It’s my first time at the Hockey World Cup and it’s not disappointed. Everything about the experience has just been fantastic. I’ve always followed hockey a lot, but it’s wonderful to see the flair that has come into the sport over the years. I really believe hockey is a very exciting sport."
Opening Blockbuster
The inaugural campaign kicks off with a high-voltage clash at Sportpark Westvliet as the Rotterdam Dockers take on the Amsterdam Flames in Voorburg. With icons from cricket and hockey championing the movement, the ETPL aims to elevate European cricket onto the global stage.
