Rotterdam Dockers
 | ||
| Nickname | The Dockers | |
|---|---|---|
| League | European T20 Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Faf du Plessis | |
| Coach | Adrian Birrell | |
| Owner | Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes, Heinrich Klaasen, John Abraham | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Rotterdam, Netherlands | |
| Colours | Forest Green, Orange, White | |
| Founded | 30 April 2026 | |
| History | ||
| ETPL wins | 0 | |
| Official website | rotterdamdockers | |
| ||
 2026 Rotterdam Dockers season | ||
The Rotterdam Dockers are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Rotterdam, Netherlands.[1][2] They compete in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).[3][4]
The team was announced as one of the inaugural franchises of the ETPL in 2026 and represents the city of Rotterdam in the competition.[5][6] The Dockers are owned by a consortium led by former South African international cricketers Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen.[6] The team is coached by Adrian Birrell and is captained by Faf du Plessis.[7]
History
Formation and ownership
The franchise was announced on 30 April 2026 as the Rotterdam-based team of the ETPL.[6] The Dockers are owned by a consortium led by former South African international cricketers Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen.[8] The ownership group later expanded with the addition of Indian actor and sports entrepreneur John Abraham as a co-owner ahead of the inaugural ETPL season.[9]
The franchise represents the city of Rotterdam, one of the Netherlands' largest cities and home to one of Europe's busiest ports. The team name "Dockers" reflects the city's maritime heritage and connection with the port industry.[7] Former South African captain Faf du Plessis was appointed as the team's captain and became the leading figure of the franchise's sporting project.[6] The ownership group stated that the Dockers would focus on combining international experience with the development of Dutch and European cricket talent.
2026: Inaugural season
The Dockers quickly assembled a strong squad ahead of the inaugural 2026 season, appointing South African veteran Faf du Plessis as captain and signing explosive wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen alongside fellow South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje. Australian wicketkeeper-batter Ben McDermott and all-rounder Mitchell Owen, Welsh batter Aneurin Donald, and Namibian all-rounder David Wiese were also brought in.[10] Dutch internationals Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh, and Saqib Zulfiqar, along with Italian all-rounder Ben Manenti, American all-rounder Shubham Ranjane, Irish bowler Jai Moondra, and Scottish bowler Jasper Davidson, completed the squad. Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was also signed.[11]
Ahead of the inaugural season opener, the team announced it would be led by South African Faf du Plessis and coached by Adrian Birrell.
Rotterdam began their inaugural ETPL campaign with a 5-wicket over Amsterdam Flames[12][13]
Current squad
- Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| Name | Nat. | Batting style | Bowling style | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||
| Faf du Plessis (c) |  South Africa |
Right-handed | N/a | Batter |
| Michael Levitt |  Netherlands |
Right-handed | N/a | Batter |
| Vikramjit Singh | Netherlands |
Left-handed | Right-arm medium | Batter |
| All-rounders | ||||
| Heinrich Klaasen | South Africa |
Right-handed | N/a | Wicket-keeper batter |
| Mitchell Owen | .svg.png){kind=small} Australia |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | All-rounder |
| Ben Manenti |  Italy |
Right-handed | Right-arm off break | All-rounder |
| Roelof van der Merwe | Netherlands |
Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | All-rounder |
| Logan van Beek | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | All-rounder |
| David Wiese |  Namibia |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | All-rounder |
| Shubham Ranjane |  United States |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium | All-rounder |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||
| Donovan Ferreira (wk) | South Africa |
Right-handed | N/a | Wicket-keeper batter |
| Jai Moondra |  Ireland |
Right-handed | N/a | Wicket-keeper batter |
| Bowlers | ||||
| Anrich Nortje | South Africa |
Right-handed | Right-arm fast | Bowler |
| Sandeep Lamichhane |  Nepal |
Right-handed | Leg break | Bowler |
| Ryan Klein | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm medium-fast | Bowler |
| Jasper Davidson |  Scotland |
Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | Bowler |
| Saqib Zulfiqar | Netherlands |
Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | Bowler |
Administration and support staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Adrian Birrell |
| Assistant coach | Heino Kuhn |
| Support staff | Stephan Myburgh |
| Support staff | Corey Rutgers |
| Physio | Craig Govender |
| Team manager | Hitesh Parekh |
| Analyst | Jay Shelat |
Seasons
Summaries
| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most Runs | Most Wickets | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Tournament finishes
| Year | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ||
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- SF: Team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition
Statistics
| Year | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied/NR[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
See also
Notes
- ↑ NR indicates "no result"; abandoned matches are indicated as no result.
References
- ↑ "Rotterdam Dockers cricket team officially launched". Rotterdam Style. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Du Plessis, Rhodes, Klaasen join forces in 'easy business decision' to co-own ETPL team". Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Rotterdam cricket franchise joins European T20 Premier League". Rotterdam Style. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Inaugural edition of ETPL to start on August 26". Cricbuzz. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "European T20 franchise league to begin on August 26". Press Trust of India. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Du Plessis & Rhodes invest in Dutch ETPL team". BBC Sport. 30 April 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- 1 2 "European T20 Premier League". ETPL. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Du Plessis & Rhodes invest in Dutch ETPL team". Rotterdam Dockers. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "John Abraham joins Rotterdam Dockers as co-owner ahead of inaugural ETPL season". European T20 Premier League. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "From squads to schedule, here's all you need to know about the inaugural ETPL season". Wisden. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Sandeep joins Faf-led Rotterdam Dockers for inaugural ETPL". Rotterdam Dockers. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Faf du Plessis Leads Rotterdam Dockers to Five-Wicket Victory in ETPL's Dutch Derby Opener". ETPL. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Roelof and Faf, journeyman and jetsetter, and European cricket's new normal". Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 August 2026.