Ajinkya Rahane signs for Amsterdam Flames

Amsterdam Flames have signed former India captain Ajinkya Rahane as the club’s marquee player for the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League.

Rahane arrives with an international career spanning more than 190 appearances across formats, and a reputation, built over more than a decade at the top of the game, for calm leadership, technical excellence and quiet consistency under pressure. Rahane is a proven leader in franchise cricket, having captained multiple teams in the Indian Premier League. He has amassed over 5,000 runs in more than 200 appearances and has an IPL title to his name. It is exactly the kind of signing Amsterdam Flames wanted to make in Season One, a player who can help shape a winning culture as much as deliver runs on the field.

Steve Waugh, Co-Founder and Chief Cricket Officer of Amsterdam Flames, welcomed Rahane to the club:

“Ajinkya Rahane represents everything you want in a professional cricketer, skill, resilience, humility and leadership. Throughout his career he has earned enormous respect across the cricket world, not only for his performances but for the way he has conducted himself on and off the field. I’ve seen first-hand the composure and leadership he brings under pressure, and those qualities help shape winning cultures. His experience, leadership and character will be invaluable as we build Amsterdam Flames into one of Europe’s premier cricket clubs.”

Steve Waugh, Co-Founder and Chief Cricket Officer, Amsterdam Flames

Rahane pointed to the scale of the opportunity in front of European cricket, and the chance to help shape it from the ground up:

“Cricket has given me so much, and I’ve always believed that players have a responsibility to leave the game stronger than they found it. Europe is entering an exciting phase and has the potential to become one of cricket’s most promising frontiers. What impressed me about Amsterdam Flames is the ambition to build something meaningful that creates a lasting impact both on and off the field. I’m excited to work alongside the management to build a successful franchise while helping inspire the next generation and strengthen cricket’s future across Europe.”

Ajinkya Rahane

Tim Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Amsterdam Flames, called the signing a defining moment for the club:

“Signing a player of Ajinkya Rahane’s calibre is a defining moment for Amsterdam Flames. This is about much more than adding an outstanding cricketer, it is about establishing the standards, culture and ambition that will define our club for years to come.”

Tim Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Amsterdam Flames

The move was welcomed at league level too. Abhishek Bachchan, Co-owner of the ETPL, said:

“Ajinkya Rahane joining Steve Waugh’s Amsterdam Flames is a significant moment for both the franchise and the ETPL, and another important milestone in our vision to accelerate the growth of cricket across Europe. Players of Ajinkya’s calibre not only raise the standard of the competition but also inspire and mentor the next generation of European cricketers. We are delighted to welcome him to the ETPL family.”

Abhishek Bachchan, Co-owner, ETPL

Rahane joins a club co-founded by Steve Waugh with a clear, long-term ambition: to compete at the highest level while helping grow the game across Europe from its earliest days. Season One starts 26 August, with the first Dutch derby in franchise cricket history. Now it starts with a former India captain in Flames colours.