The Hague [Netherlands], August 27 (ANI): The inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League kicked off in Voorburg with the Dutch derby between Rotterdam Dockers and Amsterdam Flames on Thursday.
Speaking on JioHotstar on the opening day of the tournament, ETPL co-owner Abhishek Bachchan discussed his desire to bring a competitive T20 league to Europe.
Bachchan said he is committed to building a credible and competitive cricket league in Europe. He credited his co-founders, team, and the ICC for their support, noting that the idea has been developing for three years.
He felt the league has made a strong and promising start, praising the venue, crowd, and the opportunity to see the remaining teams compete.
"Nothing worth doing is going to be easy. But you have to believe in your dream, and you have to believe in the reasons why you started it. It's been three years since the inception of this seed of an idea, and my eternal thanks to the team that's worked with me, to my co-founders, and to the ICC for the kind of faith they've bestowed in us. We were very, very concerned about the fact that we wanted to put across a very competitive and very credible league. I'd like to believe that we've made a good and auspicious start. It's wonderful to be here. It's a beautiful ground, the crowd has been great, and I can't wait to see all the rest of the teams perform," Bachchan said.
Bachchan also expressed happiness and relief after the league's successful launch. He said the lively atmosphere fulfilled their dream of bringing competitive, world-class cricket to Europe.
"I'm pleased. I'm relieved. We were relieved after the first ball went for runs. Seeing the atmosphere, that's exactly what we dreamt of, to bring competitive, world-class cricket to Europe, and here we are on the first day. Proof of concept, here we are, the first ball has been bowled, and everybody's very, very happy, back home and over here as well. Upward and onwards, we hope to build from this," he added.
ETPL could hardly have asked for a more compelling opening chapter. In a contest that carried the weight of a new competition and the intensity of a Dutch derby, Rotterdam Dockers produced a composed chase at Sportpark Westvliet to defeat Amsterdam Flames by five wickets and begin their ETPL campaign with a statement victory. (ANI)
"Pleased and relieved": Abhishek Bachchan hails ETPL's promising start
