Ajinkya Rahane has quickly found a new team after retiring from international cricket. The former India batter announced his retirement from all forms of the game on July 30 after being out of the national team since July 2023. His decision also means he will not return to lead Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2027.
Rahane has signed with Amsterdam Flames for the first season of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). According to a RevSportz report, he will play in the new tournament, while Cricbuzz reported that the Amsterdam-based franchise is backed by former Australia captain Steve Waugh.
One of the main reasons behind Rahane’s retirement was his wish to play franchise cricket outside India. The BCCI does not allow active Indian cricketers to participate in overseas T20 leagues. Retirement has now opened the door for him to compete in global competitions. The inaugural ETPL season begins on August 26, with six teams playing 34 matches.
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Rahane is the latest Indian cricketer to take this path. Ravichandran Ashwin retired before IPL 2026 and later signed deals with the Big Bash League, ILT20, Major League Cricket and ETPL, where he will captain the Dublin Guardians. Vijay Shankar has also retired and recently represented Kandy Royals in the Lanka Premier League.
Rahane enjoyed productive seasons with KKR, scoring 390 runs in IPL 2025 and 335 runs in IPL 2026. Even with those performances, questions were raised over his captaincy after KKR finished eighth in IPL 2025 and seventh in IPL 2026. The team missed the playoffs in both seasons, leading to reports that the franchise could move in a different direction.
His move to ETPL gives him a chance to continue playing competitive cricket while also sharing his experience with young players. The league is expected to feature many players from associate nations and aims to help them develop while attracting attention from major T20 tournaments around the world.
Rahane’s departure leaves KKR with an important decision before IPL 2027. The franchise must now appoint a new captain as it looks to return to the playoffs, while the former India skipper begins the next chapter of his career in the European T20 Premier League.
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European T20 Premier League (ETPL) 2026 Schedule
| Match | Date | Fixture | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 26 | Rotterdam Dockers vs Amsterdam Flames | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 2 | Aug 27 | Belfast Wolves vs Dublin Guardians | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 3 | Aug 27 | Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Glasgow Cosmics | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 4 | Aug 28 | Amsterdam Flames vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 5 | Aug 29 | Glasgow Cosmics vs Dublin Guardians | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 6 | Aug 29 | Rotterdam Dockers vs Belfast Wolves | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 7 | Aug 30 | Amsterdam Flames vs Belfast Wolves | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 8 | Aug 30 | Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Dublin Guardians | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 9 | Sep 1 | Glasgow Cosmics vs Rotterdam Dockers | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 10 | Sep 2 | Dublin Guardians vs Rotterdam Dockers | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 11 | Sep 2 | Belfast Wolves vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 12 | Sep 3 | Amsterdam Flames vs Glasgow Cosmics | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 13 | Sep 4 | Glasgow Cosmics vs Belfast Wolves | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 14 | Sep 5 | Rotterdam Dockers vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 15 | Sep 5 | Dublin Guardians vs Amsterdam Flames | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 16 | Sep 6 | Glasgow Cosmics vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Voorburg | 3:00 PM |
| 17 | Sep 6 | Amsterdam Flames vs Rotterdam Dockers | Voorburg | 6:45 PM |
| 18 | Sep 9 | Dublin Guardians vs Belfast Wolves | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 19 | Sep 10 | Rotterdam Dockers vs Glasgow Cosmics | Dublin | 3:00 PM |
| 20 | Sep 10 | Belfast Wolves vs Amsterdam Flames | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 21 | Sep 11 | Dublin Guardians vs Edinburgh Castle Rockers | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 22 | Sep 12 | Belfast Wolves vs Rotterdam Dockers | Dublin | 3:00 PM |
| 23 | Sep 12 | Dublin Guardians vs Glasgow Cosmics | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 24 | Sep 13 | Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Amsterdam Flames | Dublin | 3:00 PM |
| 25 | Sep 13 | Belfast Wolves vs Glasgow Cosmics | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 26 | Sep 15 | Amsterdam Flames vs Dublin Guardians | Dublin | 3:00 PM |
| 27 | Sep 15 | Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Rotterdam Dockers | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 28 | Sep 16 | Glasgow Cosmics vs Amsterdam Flames | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| 29 | Sep 17 | Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Belfast Wolves | Dublin | 3:00 PM |
| 30 | Sep 17 | Rotterdam Dockers vs Dublin Guardians | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| Qualifier | Sep 19 | TBC vs TBC | Dublin | 6:45 PM |
| Final | Sep 20 | TBC vs TBC | Dublin | 6:45 PM |