Ashwin, Rahane's presence will lift ETPL profile: Glasgow Cosmic's Keshav Maharaj

New Delhi: The presence of former India stars Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) will help raise the profile of the competition and attract fans, said South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who will turn out for Glasgow Cosmic in the inaugural edition.

Ashwin will represent Dublin Guardians while Rahane will play for Amsterdam Flames in the league, which Maharaj believes has already created a strong product by bringing together prominent international names.

"Both their (Ashwin and Rahane) presence will be really felt within this league, not only from a cricketing perspective, but bringing in the fans to watch the games," Maharaj told PTI in an interview.


"We know Indian cricketers obviously have a large fan base and I think it's a wonderful drawcard to create awareness in this league," Maharaj said.

Maharaj also lauded the two Indian veterans, saying their influence would extend beyond their performances on the field.

"I have had the opportunity to play against Ash and with Ash (for Rajasthan Royals), so very privileged to play with one of the legends of the game.

"And I've got a huge respect for Ajinkya, played against him. I think he's one of the most nicest human beings you're ever going to find. Such a wonderful cricketer (Rahane), talented cricketer, and more especially a really good leader of the game," he said.

"He's obviously led India to successful victories in Australia, one of the most memorable victories for India in the Test match format."

The ETPL has also attracted Bollywood personalities -- Abhishek Bachchan -- as owners and co-founders, while Glasgow Cosmic is co-owned by Vipul Agrawal, Tansha Batra and Australian batting great Matthew Hayden.

Maharaj is excited about being part of the new league and sees it as an opportunity to test himself in unfamiliar conditions while interacting with some of the game's leading players.

"Yeah, very excited to be a part of the inaugural ETPL this year with Glasgow Cosmic. It's always nice to play league cricket and interact with some of the best in the world, play with some of the best in the world and obviously rub shoulders with them," he said.

Playing T20 cricket in Amsterdam, Dublin, Glasgow will be an altogether different experience, feels Maharaj, who has 346 international wickets across three formats, including 218 in Tests alone.

"It's a nice way to grade yourself, but super excited, obviously playing cricket in very different conditions, which we're not used to back home. So it's a wonderful opportunity and learning curve for me to sort of adapt to various other conditions in the world."

Maharaj also sees the tournament as an opportunity to grow the game at the grassroots level. He recently took part in a camp for youngsters associated with the club and was encouraged by their enthusiasm.

He added that the presence of international professionals could inspire youngsters to connect with the game.

"If we can inspire both on and off the field and give back in whatever way possible, then I think as professionals, we're doing our job."