With the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) set to get underway on August 26, league co-founder Abhishek Bachchan has outlined the long-term vision behind the project and why he believes European cricket is ready for a new franchise-driven platform. For Bachchan, the ETPL is not just about staging another T20 competition; it is about building something sustainable, credible and capable of developing talent over time.

Bachchan explained that the foundation of the league was built on attracting committed franchise owners who believed in the larger vision. In his view, once the right ownership structure was in place, players would naturally follow. The fact that established names such as Faf du Plessis and Ravichandran Ashwin have already signed on, he said, is proof that the league is starting to gain real traction.

“When my co-founders and I started the ETPL, we believed that if we got the right people to believe in our vision and buy teams, the players would follow. They would see the ownership and understand what their vision is,” Abhishek Bachchan said in a statement released by ETPL.

He added that the early player signings have given the project strong momentum. According to him, teams such as Amsterdam Flames have made smart moves in building competitive squads, while the overall response from cricketers shows that the franchise model is being taken seriously.

ALSO READ: Australia Open To India Ashes Test? Todd Greenberg Clarifies Cricket Australia’s Stance

“The kind of players these teams have already signed up, Faf du Plessis and R Ashwin, absolute legends of the game, proves that point. Amsterdam Flames have also done a great job of signing up many wonderful players. Everyone is working very hard. The players come because they see that the ownership means business. This is not a short-term project. This is something people believe in for the long term. They want to build something lasting. They are the best in the business when it comes to identifying and nurturing new talent. The players see that as well,” he said.

Abhishek Bachchan, who already owns franchises in the Pro Kabaddi League and Indian football, also drew from his experience across those sports to explain how he views the ETPL’s growth path. He stressed that the goal is not to challenge Europe’s traditional sporting giants head-on, but instead to create a unique identity that can gradually build its own following.

“I have a fair amount of experience in team ownership because two of the teams that I own back home, one is in Kabaddi and one is in Football. They both aren’t the number one sport in India and Cricket is the most watched sport by miles. So, I have a fair amount of experience, and that is one of the reasons that made me very comfortable to come into the ETPL on a league level. I had some sort of idea of what we can do to get a sport that might not be the first go-to sport but still drag eyeballs.”

“The biggest lesson is not to compete with the big sports. It is about creating your own unique product and creating your own unique fan base to start with, and then it will organically grow into something. So, I think the biggest mistake we could make is try and compete with the big sports in Europe. They have been around in an organized franchise fashion for, in the case of football, over a hundred years. That is not something you can compete with. But you can learn from it, build your own fan base, and then allow them to do it themselves,” he concluded.

Former Australia captain and Amsterdam Flames co-owner Steve Waugh also sounded upbeat about the league’s prospects. He pointed to Ireland’s recent 2-0 T20I series win over India as evidence that European cricket has serious untapped potential and that the ETPL could arrive at the right time.

ALSO READ: Daren Sammy Reveals Alzarri Joseph Declined Selection For Pakistan Series

“Ireland whitewashing the T20 World Cup Champions, India, 2-0 is an amazing result for Irish cricket. It just shows how much potential there is for European cricket. That is why I am really excited about the ETPL, which is coming up in a month’s time. I am a part of the Amsterdam Flames in this exciting venture. European cricket has got huge potential, as was seen in the last couple of weeks,” Steve Waugh said.

The first edition of the European T20 Premier League will begin on August 26, with the tournament aiming to accelerate franchise cricket’s growth across Europe and create a platform that can last well beyond its opening season.