Megastar Amitabh Bachchan Wishes Son Abhishek For European T20 Premier League; Says, 'May It Bring Success' | VIDEO

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan extended his best wishes to son Abhishek Bachchan as the latter takes on a new role in European cricket with the launch of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) on Wednesday.

Sharing a video of Abhishek promoting the league on X, Amitabh wrote, "All prayers and good wishes on this new venture... May it bring success and unlimited laurels." He also tagged Abhishek and the ETPL in the post.

The ETPL marks Abhishek Bachchan's expansion into cricket after his involvement with sports properties such as the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi League and Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League. With the ETPL, he is involved at the league level rather than only as an owner of an individual franchise.

Abhishek is a co-founder and co-owner of the ETPL, taking his involvement in sports beyond owning individual teams to helping build an entire league.

The inaugural ETPL season begins on August 26 and will run until September 20. The ICC-sanctioned league brings together six city-based franchises from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. The teams are Amsterdam Flames, Rotterdam Dockers, Dublin Guardians, Belfast Wolves, Glasgow Cosmic and Edinburgh Castle Rockers.

The tournament will feature 30 league matches, followed by a Qualifier and the final. The first 17 matches will be played at Voorburg Cricket Club in the Netherlands before the competition moves to Malahide Cricket Club in Ireland. The Qualifier is scheduled for September 19, followed by the final on September 20.

The league has attracted several major names from international cricket. Amsterdam Flames feature Steve Smith, Tim David, Scott Edwards and former India captain Ajinkya Rahane. Rotterdam Dockers have Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and Anrich Nortje, while Ravichandran Ashwin leads the Dublin Guardians. Glenn Maxwell and Paul Stirling are part of Belfast Wolves, while Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult feature for Edinburgh Castle Rockers.

The ownership structure is equally star-studded, with Steve Waugh associated with Amsterdam, Rahul Dravid owning Dublin, Glenn Maxwell co-owning Belfast, Matthew Hayden involved with Glasgow and Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes, Heinrich Klaasen and John Abraham part of the Rotterdam ownership group.

For Abhishek, the ETPL is a move from team ownership to building a wider sporting ecosystem. He has said his aim is not simply to invest in sport but to create long-term sporting institutions and opportunities. His interest in sports was also influenced by Amitabh, whom Abhishek has credited for developing his love for sport during his childhood.