ETPL Brings Cricket And Hockey Together As Dravid, Waugh, Bachchan Witness India-Netherlands Hockey WC Fixture

August 23, Amstelveen (The Netherlands), 2026: 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 came together to attend the India-Netherlands men’s fixture at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

Cricket stars attend hockey fixture

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.

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.”

ETPL set for inaugural season

The European T20 Premier League, the International Cricket Council (ICC)-sanctioned T20 franchise league, gets underway on August 26. Featuring six city-based franchises, 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 an iconic first season as European cricket takes another major step forward.