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MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni To Play Cricket in Europe After IPL? Here's the TRUTH

Sportsdunia Desk

Modified - May 12, 2026, 11:42 AM

3 min

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The franchise cricket leagues are expanding day by day and the latest one which is all set to take the world by storm. The European T20 Premier League has been in the news for the last few hours, especially after Rahul Dravid was announced as the co-owner of the franchise.

With Rahul Dravid hogging the headlines, and several former stars set to take part in the league, the name of MS Dhoni has also come into reckoning. Many have been wondering if the keeper-batter will be there in the league or not, especially after Ravichandran Ashwin being named as captain of the Dublin Guardians franchise.

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 but has continued playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the ongoing 2026 edition of the league is anticipated to be his last, which is why talks have been there about his participation in the European T20 Premier League.

Will MS Dhoni Play ETPL?

There are very slim chances that MS Dhoni might play the European T20 Premier League. As per the policy of the BCCI, Indian cricketers who are in contract with the board are not allowed to play in foreign leagues until they announce their retirement from Indian cricket.

While speaking to PTI, ETPL co-founder and actor Abhishek Bachchan was asked about the Indian star that he would want to have in the league, and he named MS Dhoni without hesitation.

“Do you need a reason why you want to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni in cricket?” he replied when he was asked about the reason why he picked Dhoni.

Despite all the speculations, MS Dhoni ETPL availability remains negligible. The former India captain only plays once throughout the year, in the IPL, the biggest cricket league in the world. Given his recent injury concerns, it is unlikely that he will participate in the ETPL.

However, he was also aware of the fact that it would be a great challenge to bring current Indian players into overseas franchise leagues because of the Board Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

Abhishek Bachchan On Indian Players In European T20 Premier League

When asked about the availability of Indian players in European T20 Premier League, Bachchan expressed his wish to bring them, however, he focused on the quality of cricket as the main priority.

“We would have loved to have the (current) Indian cricketers as part of the ETPL. But as we all know, Indian cricketers under contract with the BCCI are not permitted to play outside the IPL. We will miss them. It would have been wonderful to have them. Outside of the Indian talent pool, we have the rest of the world's greatest cricketers who are coming and playing in the ETPL. So, I think we will be okay.”

Coming to ETPL, the league is scheduled to begin from August 26 to September 20. Apart from Rahul Dravid, some of the best cricketers in the world like Steve Waugh, Jonty Rhodes and Glenn Maxwell are also amongst the franchise owners.