Ajinkya Rahane signs up to play for Amsterdam Flames in ETPL
Ajinkya Rahane (Source: X/@IPL)
Published - 07 Aug 2026, 05:04 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane, who announced his international retirement on July 30, has joined Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). He joins Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Michael Bracewell and Tim David among a host of other star players who have signed up to represent Flames in the inaugural edition of the ETPL. Marsh has been announced as the captain of the outfit.
Rahane believes Europe has the "potential to become one of cricket's most promising frontiers".
"Europe is entering an exciting phase and has the potential to become one of cricket's most promising frontiers. What impressed me about Amsterdam Flames is the ambition to build something meaningful that creates a lasting impact both on and off the field," said Rahane in a statement released by Flames.
The co-founder and chief cricket officer of Flames, Steve Waugh, heaped praise on Rahane and felt that his inclusion will help create a winning culture in the dressing room.
"Ajinkya Rahane represents everything you want in a professional cricketer - skill, resilience, humility and leadership. Throughout his career he has earned enormous respect across the cricket world, not only for his performances but for the way he has conducted himself on and off the field. I've seen first-hand the composure and leadership he brings under pressure, and those qualities help shape winning cultures," Waugh said in a statement.
ETPL is a cross-border T20 competition based on a franchise model. It is sanctioned by Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland and Netherlands Cricket. The inaugural edition of the ETPL will feature six teams: Amsterdam Flames, Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Cosmic and Rotterdam Dockers.
ETPL season 1 begins on August 26 and runs till September 20. The league stage will witness 30 matches, followed by a Qualifier on September 19, and the summit clash will be held on September 20. Malahide (Ireland) and Voorburg (Netherlands) will host the entire tournament.