Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26

The inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) is set to get underway on August 26, with Rotterdam Dockers taking on Amsterdam Flames. The six-team tournament will run for 26 days across two venues - Voorburg Cricket Club in the Netherlands and Malahide in Ireland.

The league stage will feature 30 matches, with each team playing the others twice in a double round-robin format. The table-toppers will qualify directly for the final, while the second and third-placed teams will meet in the Qualifier for the remaining spot.

The first 15 league matches will be played at Voorburg before the tournament moves to Malahide, where the remaining league fixtures, the Qualifier and the Final will be held. The two legs of the competition will be separated by travel days on September 7 and 8. The league stage will also feature several double-headers, with the first match starting at 11.30am local time and the second at 3.15pm local time.

"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," said Jonty Rhodes, co-owner of the Rotterdam Dockers.

"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," said Steve Waugh, co-owner of the Amsterdam Flames.

The league will feature several prominent international cricketers, including Steve Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh, Lungi Ngidi and Trent Boult.

"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," said Rahul Dravid, co-owner of Dublin Guardians.

"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," said Matthew Hayden, co-owner of Glasgow Cosmic.

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