Jonty Rhodes confirms Jai Moondra as Rotterdam Dockers' priority pick in inaugural ETPL draft

Irish all-rounder Jai Moondra, named Player of the Series in Ireland's 2-0 T20I series win over India, has been selected by Rotterdam Dockers as their opening pick in the inaugural European T20 Premier League (ETPL) player draft. The draft, held in Dublin on Thursday, saw all six franchises finalize their squads ahead of the competition's maiden season.

The Dockers built around the Rajasthan-born cricketer by drafting Netherlands internationals Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar, as well as Scotland's Jasper Davidson, to give the side a multinational core. Co-owner Jonty Rhodes confirmed that Moondra had been a deliberate priority from the outset.

“Jai Moondra was someone we were particularly keen to bring into the squad after the way he has announced himself on the international stage. He is an exciting young talent with tremendous potential, and we’re delighted to have secured him. Alongside Jai, we’ve put together a really exciting group of players from across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.

We believe we have a strong, balanced squad with the depth and quality to be highly competitive, and we’re looking forward to seeing them come together when the league gets underway,” said Rhodes, as quoted by Cricinfo.

Dublin Guardians captain and mentor Ravichandran Ashwin explained what guided his franchise's picks in the draft, prioritizing player quality over nationality.

“While the majority of our picks were Irish, I think nationality comes second; it’s about the quality of the player and how they will fit into our mix. I do believe that, going into an auction or a draft, every single player that you pick must be a playable resource,” said Ashwin, as quoted by Cricinfo.

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The ETPL’s inaugural season is set to begin on Wednesday, August 26, with all six franchises having now completed their squads through the player draft. Moondra will be central to the Dockers’ plans as the competition gets off the ground.

Notably, a total of 36 players were picked across the franchises, with 12 each drawn from Cricket Ireland, Cricket Scotland, and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB). The six sides were Amsterdam Flames, Irish Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Cosmic, and Rotterdam Dockers, with each franchise largely following regional lines while also building squads with an eye on balance.