CricTracker
newspoint|28-07-2026
The countdown to a new era for European cricket has officially begun. The European T20 Premier League (ETPL) today unveiled the fixtures for its inaugural season, with Europe's first major franchise T20 league set to take centre stage from 26 August to 20 September 2026, across two iconic venues: Voorburg Cricket Club in the Netherlands and Malahide Cricket Club in Ireland.
The inaugural season of the ETPL, led by Abhishek Bachchan, will get underway with a blockbuster opening clash at Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague as Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and John Abraham's Rotterdam Dockers take on Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer's Amsterdam Flames in the tournament opener.
Voorburg will host the opening phase of the competition before the action shifts to Malahide (Dublin, Ireland) for the remainder of the league stage. Dublin will also host the Qualifier and the inaugural Final, where the first ETPL champions will be crowned.
Jonty Rhodes, Co-Owner, Rotterdam Dockers:
"It is a privilege to open the inaugural ETPL season. We can't wait to bring Rotterdam's passion and spirit onto the field and share this historic moment with our home fans."
Steve Waugh, Co-Owner, Amsterdam Flames:
"The opening match is a fantastic opportunity to introduce Amsterdam Flames and the brand of cricket we want to play. We're proud to be part of this exciting new chapter for European cricket and look forward to getting underway."
Over 26 days and 32 matches, six teams from across Europe will compete for the league's first-ever title, bringing together some of the biggest names in world cricket alongside Europe's finest homegrown talent.
Global stars including Tim David, Steve Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh, Lungi Ngidi and Trent Boult will share the stage with leading European players such as Paul Stirling, Scott Edwards, Josh Little, Jai Moondra, George Dockrell, Aryan Dutt, Max O'Dowd, Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross, creating one of the most exciting player line-ups ever assembled in European cricket.
The second match of the tournament, on 27 August, will see Rahul Dravidsupport his Dublin Guardians, led by Ravichandran Ashwin, as they face off against Glenn Maxwell's Belfast Wolves.
Rahul Dravid, Co-Owner, Dublin Guardians:
"Representing Dublin in Europe's newest franchise T20 league is exciting. We look forward to an exciting inaugural season and to building something the city and its fans can be proud of."
Matthew Hayden, Co-Owner, Glasgow Cosmic:
"The ETPL marks a landmark moment for Scottish cricket, and Glasgow Cosmic is proud to be part of this journey. We look forward to making our mark from the very first ball."
Each franchise will play every other team twice in a round-robin format. The team finishing at the top of the league table will qualify directly for the Final, while the second and third-placed teams will contest the Qualifier for the remaining place in the championship decider.
Dhiraj Malhotra, Co-Founder, European T20 Premier League:
European T20 Premier League 2026: Full Schedule, Dates, Timings and Venues Voorburg, Netherlands phase (26 Aug – early Sep):"The release of the fixtures marks another significant milestone in the journey towards our inaugural season. In just 29 days, Europe will witness the launch of its own franchise T20 league. We can't wait for the first ball to be bowled and for ETPL to begin creating its own history."
- Match 1: 26 Aug, 15:15 local (18:45 IST) — Rotterdam Dockers vs Amsterdam Flames
- Match 2: 27 Aug, 11:30 local (15:00 IST) — Belfast Wolves vs Dublin Guardians
- Match 3: 27 Aug, 15:15 local (18:45 IST) — Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Glasgow Cosmic
- Match 4: 28 Aug, 15:15 local — Amsterdam Flames vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers
- Match 5: 29 Aug, 11:30 local — Glasgow Cosmic vs Dublin Guardians
- Match 6: 29 Aug, 15:15 local — Rotterdam Dockers vs Belfast Wolves
- Match 7: 30 Aug, 11:30 local — Amsterdam Flames vs Belfast Wolves
- Match 8: 30 Aug, 15:15 local — Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Dublin Guardians
- Match 9: 1 Sep, 15:15 local — Glasgow Cosmic vs Rotterdam Dockers
- Match 10: 2 Sep, 11:30 local — Dublin Guardians vs Rotterdam Dockers
- Match 11: 2 Sep, 15:15 local — Belfast Wolves vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers
- Match 12: 3 Sep, 15:15 local — Amsterdam Flames vs Glasgow Cosmic
- Match 13: 4 Sep, 15:15 local — Glasgow Cosmic vs Belfast Wolves
- Match 14: 5 Sep, 11:30 local — Rotterdam Dockers vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers
- Match 15: 5 Sep, 15:15 local — Dublin Guardians vs Amsterdam Flames
- Match 16: 6 Sep, 11:30 local — Glasgow Cosmic vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers
- Match 17: 6 Sep, 15:15 local — Amsterdam Flames vs Rotterdam Dockers
- Match 18: 9 Sep, 14:15 local — Dublin Guardians vs Belfast Wolves
- Match 19: 10 Sep, 10:30 local — Rotterdam Dockers vs Glasgow Cosmic
- Match 20: 10 Sep, 14:15 local — Belfast Wolves vs Amsterdam Flames
- Match 21: 11 Sep, 14:15 local — Dublin Guardians vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers
- Match 22: 12 Sep, 10:30 local — Belfast Wolves vs Rotterdam Dockers
- Match 23: 12 Sep, 14:15 local — Dublin Guardians vs Glasgow Cosmic
- Match 24: 13 Sep, 10:30 local — Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Amsterdam Flames
- Match 25: 13 Sep, 14:15 local — Belfast Wolves vs Glasgow Cosmic
- Match 26: 15 Sep, 10:30 local — Amsterdam Flames vs Dublin Guardians
- Match 27: 15 Sep, 14:15 local — Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Rotterdam Dockers
- Match 28: 16 Sep, 14:15 local — Glasgow Cosmic vs Amsterdam Flames
- Match 29: 17 Sep, 10:30 local — Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Belfast Wolves
- Match 30: 17 Sep, 14:15 local — Rotterdam Dockers vs Dublin Guardians
-
Qualifier (likely Match 31): 19 Sep — 1st vs 2nd (or similar per Page system)
-
Eliminator(s): Dates/times TBD based on standings (typically between 18–20 Sep)
-
Final (likely Match ~34 or listed as 32 in some refs): 20 Sep, 14:15 local — Winner of Qualifier vs Winner of Eliminator 2
“He has to be shown the door”: Sunil Gavaskar urges selectors to drop players after dropped catches in ZIM vs IND 3rd T20I
Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Group to build state-of-the-art high-performance centre near Old Trafford
'There is a constant rat race' - Sanju Samson opens up on competition within Team India & receiving fitness advice from Virat Kohli
Ravindra Jadeja likely to return as India await Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah fitness clearance for Sri Lanka Tests
