The Dublin Guardians are a professional Twenty20 cricket franchise team based in Dublin, Ireland, competing in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The Guardians were announced as one of the league's inaugural franchises on 11 May 2026. The franchise is owned by former Indian captain and T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid, who acquired a primary stake. Former Indian offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin serves as both captain and mentor of the franchise.
History Formation The Dublin Guardians were established as part of the inaugural European T20 Premier League, a competition first conceived in 2019. The franchise was officially unveiled on 11 May 2026 at a landmark event in Dublin, where Rahul Dravid was announced as the owner, completing the league's six-team structure.
Captain and mentorship On 1 July 2026, former Indian offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin was appointed as captain and mentor of the franchise. Ashwin, who retired from the Indian Premier League at the end of the 2025 season, joined as one of the tournament's direct signings.
Players Draft acquisitions The inaugural player draft took place on 2 July 2026, with franchises selecting local players from the three organising nations through a snake-draft format. Each franchise was required to select a minimum of six and a maximum of eight players from the draft pool. Dublin Guardians and Belfast Irish Wolves picked seven of the 12 available Irish players. The Guardians selected Irish internationals George Dockrell, Craig Young, Benjamin Calitz, Matthew Hollard alongside Noah Croes, and Chris Greaves. Direct Overseas Signings Daryl Mitchell, James Vince, Vijay Shankar, Harmeet Singh and Sanjay Krishnamurthi.
Current squad
The following players have been confirmed as part of the Dublin Guardians squad for the 2026 European T20 Premier League:
No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes Batters — Daryl Mitchell — — — Overseas player — James Vince — — — Overseas player — Muhammad Waseem — — — Associate player All-rounders — Ravichandran Ashwin (c) Right-handed Right-arm off break Mentor; Overseas player — George Dockrell Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Affiliated local player; Drafted — Vijay Shankar — — — Overseas player — Harmeet Singh — — — Associate player — Harry Tector — — — Affiliated local player Wicket-keepers — Ben Calitz Left-handed Right-arm medium Affiliated local player; Drafted — Noah Croes — — — Local player; Drafted Bowlers — Chris Greaves — — — Local player; Drafted — Peter Hatzoglou — — — European associate player — Matt Hollard — — — Affiliated local player; Drafted — Josh Little — — — Affiliated local player — Chris Wood — — — Overseas player — Craig Young Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium Affiliated local player; Drafted Source:
Seasons Summaries SeasonFinalsCoachCaptainMost RunsMost WicketsRefs2026 Tournament finishes Year League standing Final standing2026 5th out of 6 League stage C: champions RU: runner-up SF team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition Statistics YearPlayed Wins Losses Tied/NR2026
Administration and support staff Position Name Owner Rahul Dravid Captain Ravichandran Ashwin Head coach Vikram Rathour Assistant coach Ed Joyce Bowling coach Mitchell McClenaghan Fielding coach John Mooney
See also European T20 Premier League Cricket in Ireland Cricket Ireland Malahide Cricket Club Ground Rahul Dravid Ravichandran Ashwin
Notes
References
External links Cricbuzz – Rahul Dravid announced as owner of Dublin Guardians ESPNcricinfo – Ashwin joins Dublin Guardians as captain and mentor