Cricket, hockey worlds come together ahead of ETPL inaugural season

ETPL co-owners Abhishek Bachchan, Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer attended the India-Netherlands fixture at the Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen. Bachchan later met Team India, while the ETPL prepares for its inaugural season from August 26

Hyderabad: With the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) just days away, the worlds of cricket and hockey came together in the Netherlands as ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan, Dublin Guardians co-owner Rahul Dravid and Amsterdam Flames co-owners Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer attended the India-Netherlands men’s fixture at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

Following the match, Bachchan met the Harmanpreet Singh-led Team India and wished the side the very best for the remainder of its World Cup campaign, while Dravid, Waugh and Dwyer watched the action from the stands.

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Speaking about witnessing the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 fixture, ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan said, “It’s my first time at the Hockey World Cup and it’s not disappointed. Everything about the experience has just been fantastic. My congratulations to all the organisers, to the host countries for putting on such a wonderful show. 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.”

The European T20 Premier League, the International Cricket Council (ICC)-sanctioned T20 franchise league, gets underway on August 26. Featuring six city-based franchises, the ETPL will run until September 20, with the tournament being staged across two venues — Voorburg in the Netherlands and Malahide in Ireland.

The opening fixture will see Rotterdam Dockers take on Amsterdam Flames in Voorburg, setting the stage for the first season as European cricket takes another major step forward.