National, July 07, 2026: JetSynthesys, a global leader in digital entertainment and technology, has announced celebrated playback singer Sonu Nigam as the owner of the Kolkata Hawks for Season 3 of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL). The announcement comes alongside the unveiling of one of India’s most celebrated gaming personalities, Scout (Tanmay Singh), as the owner of the Gujarat Wolves. The expanded eight-team competition will be held at the Jairaj Sports & Convention Centre, Pune, from August 1 to August 9.
Powered by Real Cricket™, the world’s most downloaded mobile cricket simulation game with over 400 million lifetime downloads, GEPL Season 3 will be broadcast across Star Sports and JioHotstar from August 1. This season carries a prize pool of ₹3.1 crore as excitement for another exhilarating edition heats up.
Sonu Nigam and Scout join a list of marquee franchise owners returning from Season 2, including Delhi Sharks (Peyush Bansal), Bengaluru Badgers (Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori, Prashanth Prakash), Mumbai Grizzlies (Sara Tendulkar), Pune Stallions (Suniel Shetty), Chennai Falcons (Gopal Srinivasan, Madhusudanan R, Arjun Santhanakrishnan) and Hyderabad Rhinos (Amit Mehta).
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.”
The entry of one India’s most popular entertainers, Sonu Nigam, marks GEPL’s first ownership stake from the world of mainstream music and entertainment, extending the league’s appeal well beyond its existing roster of business leaders, investors and Bollywood icons.
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.”
Born in Odisha and raised in Gujarat, Scout (Tanmay Singh) is among the most influential figures to emerge from India’s gaming industry. His ownership of the Gujarat Hawks brings the league a homegrown connect and a direct line to its youngest, most digitally native fans.
“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.”
Having generated over 174 million impressions and 910,000 player interests in Season 2, GEPL enters its third season with unprecedented momentum. The addition of Sonu Nigam and Scout further strengthens a distinguished ownership group as the league continues to build a globally relevant e-cricket IP and a career defining platform for India’s esports athletes.
Watch Scout as he shares his excitement about joining GEPL Season 3.
