Gamechangers: Meet Rotterdam Dockers’ Six Draft Picks

The inaugural ETPL Draft offered every franchise the opportunity to further strengthen their regional and local identities. For the Rotterdam Dockers, that identity is of course rooted firmly in Dutch cricket. Like the other five teams, the Dockers showed a lot of faith in their local talent, selecting four Dutch players to form the backbone of the squad before adding two carefully chosen recruits from Ireland and Scotland. Together, the six picks, along with their list of pre-signed players, provide Rotterdam with a blend of proven performers, both international and domestic, emerging stars and multi-dimensional cricketers capable of making an immediate impact.

Here are the big strengths of the six draft picks made by the Dockers at the recent ETPL 2026 Player Draft:

 

JAI MOONDRA (Ireland)

The Dockers' first selection, Jai Moondra, is one of the most exciting emerging left-arm seamers in world cricket. The youngster received sudden international acclaim after his recent memorable performances against India in the two T20I series in Belfast. Announcing himself on the international stage, on international debut, with fearless spells against the reigning T20 World Champions and one of the world's strongest batting line-ups, including (so far) career-best figures of 3/32 in the series finale. Moondra walked away with the Player of the Series award. Still early in his career, Moondra already possesses the temperament and skill-set to thrive in high-pressure situations.

 

MICHAEL LEVITT (The Netherlands)

With their second pick, the Dockers turned to one of Dutch cricket's brightest stars in 23 year old Michael Levitt. Levitt, an aggressive opening batter, marked his international debut by hitting the fastest T20I century by a Dutch batter – a stunning knock of 135 off just 62 balls, that included 11 fours and 10 sixes against Namibia in February 2024 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. He could well be one of Rotterdam's strongest assets going into the first ETPL season because of his fearless playing style, which enables him to take the initiative inside the powerplay combined with his familiarity with home circumstances.

 

RYAN KLEIN (The Netherlands)

29-year-old right arm medium fast bowler, Ryan Klein's selection in the third round strengthened Rotterdam's Dutch core further. His ability to bowl disciplined spells at various stages of an innings makes him a potent force. In the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Klein was the Netherlands' most economical seamer in the qualifying campaign, taking nine wickets, at an economy of less than 4.5. He is also a more than handy tail-end batter. One of his standout performances was in the 2023 Dutch Topklasse final, where he returned figures of 6/15 for Voorburg Cricket Club to help his team clinch the championship. Over the course of an almost month-long league, his knowledge of Dutch conditions and expertise at the international level is likely to be worth its weight in gold. He can be extremely potent comfortable with both the new ball and in the middle overs. Though he is still new to international cricket, having made his debut (both ODIs and T20Is) in 2022, Klein could well be  a game changer in Dutch conditions for the Dockers. 

 

JASPER DAVIDSON (Scotland)

Rotterdam’s next pick was Scotland's Jasper Davidson in Round 4. One of Scotland's most exciting emerging cricketers and brightest young pace-bowling prospects, the 24-year-old from Edinburgh, has impressed through age-group cricket with his ability to contribute with both bat and ball. Still early in his career, his inclusion adds youthful energy and long-term potential to the Dockers' squad, complementing the experienced core already in place. He is also a very useful lower order batter. His climb up the rungs of age-group cricket has been swift. He manages to generate good pace and bounce. Having made his international debut (ODIs and T20Is) in 2024, Davidson has best bowling figures (in an innings) of 3/51. Interestingly, Jasper's younger brother, Oliver Davidson, is also a Scottish international cricketer.

 

VIKRAMJIT SINGH (The Netherlands)

Returning to Dutch talent, the Dockers secured the services of 23-year-old, stylish left-hand opening batter, Vikramjit Singh as their fifth selection. One of the Netherlands' most elegant left-handed batters, Vikramjit has already represented his country in 75 white ball internationals despite still being in his early twenties. One of the key members of Netherlands’ top order, Vikramjit is comfortable with both attacking and building an innings, he offers Rotterdam stability at the top of the order while possessing the ability to shift gears when required. Born in Cheema Khurd, Punjab, Vikramjit moved to the Netherlands when he was seven. He represented the Netherlands at the Under-19 level and was among the leading run-scorers in the 2019 ICC Under-19 World Cup Europe Qualifier, helping his team qualify for the showpiece event. Vikramjit was only 16 when he made his T20I debut for the Netherlands, in 2019. He has a strong back-foot game against pace bowling and he couples that with aggressive intent in the powerplay. Perhaps his strongest suit though is his calm demeanour and temperament.

 

SAQIB ZULFIQAR (The Netherlands)

The Dockers rounded off their draft picks by selecting 29-year-old leg-break bowler, Saqib Zulfiqar, from the Netherlands. A composed cricketer with international experience for the Netherlands, Zulfiqar provides Rotterdam with another reliable option and increased flexibility in team balance during the tournament. Saqib, who made his T20I debut in 2018, has the knack of breaking partnerships by deceiving batters with variety in pace and flight. Known for his game awareness, Saqib is also a very useful finisher with the bat. Saqib’s family is one of the most famous families in Dutch cricket. His father, Zulfiqar Ahmed, represented the Netherlands, while his triplet brothers, Asad and Sikander Zulfiqar, have also played international cricket.

These six players will now join an already successful group of pre-signed overseas professionals to form a squad that combines local knowledge with international experience. While the draft has been an important part of Rotterdam’s squad-building process, the focus now turns to getting the whole group together ahead of the inaugural season. With preparations set to move from the draft room to the training ground, the Dockers will hope that their carefully assembled squad can quickly develop the chemistry needed to make an impact by the time the first ball of the ETPL is bowled.