JetSynthesys has announced Sonu Nigam as the owner of the Kolkata Hawks and Tanmay Singh as the owner of the Gujarat Wolves for Season 3 of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL).
The eight-team tournament will be held at the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre from 1 to 9 August and will be broadcast on Star Sports and JioHotstar.
Rajan Navani, Chairman, JetSynthesys, said, “Every season, GEPL has widened the circle of people who believe in what we are building, and Season 3 takes that to the next level. We are delighted to welcome Sonu Nigam, one of India's legendary cultural icons, and Scout, a pioneer who has helped shape the country's esports landscape, as franchise owners for Season 3. Their association reflects how music & esports is evolving into mainstream entertainment and attracting leaders who have built deeply engaged communities of their own. As GEPL continues to grow, our ambition is to build one of India's most distinctive Sports IPs - one that not only creates opportunities for Indian athletes but also establishes a homegrown league with global relevance.”
Powered by Real Cricket, the league will feature a prize pool of ₹3.1 crore. According to the organisers, the game has recorded more than 400 million lifetime downloads.
Speaking on his association with GEPL, Sonu Nigam said, “Music and sports have always found ways to bring people together, and GEPL feels like a natural extension of that. I am excited to own the Kolkata Hawks and be part of a platform that is redefining how young India engages with cricket. My aim is to build a team that gives emerging talent, a stage to be seen and heard.”
Nigam and Scout join an existing group of franchise owners that includes Peyush Bansal, Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori, Prashanth Prakash, Sara Tendulkar, Suniel Shetty, Gopal Srinivasan, Madhusudanan R, Arjun Santhanakrishnan and Amit Mehta.
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“My association with GEPL is a chance to give back to the community which has backed me from the start, and to build a team that reflects the discipline and hunger I have always believed the Indian esports scene has in abundance. My focus will be on nurturing grassroots talent, giving aspiring players the platform and belief they need to see esports as a genuine career, not just a passion project,” added Tanmay Singh.
Jogesh Lulla, Senior Vice President – JetSynthesys Sports, said, “The calibre of ownership joining GEPL Season 3 is a clear signal of how far the league's footprint has traveled. Sonu Nigam extends our reach into mainstream entertainment audiences while Scout brings deep credibility within India's gaming community. Additions like these strengthen GEPL's foundation as a serious, sustainable pillar of India's growing esports ecosystem.”
GEPL said the appointments are part of its plans to broaden the league's appeal ahead of its third season.
