This marks the beginning of the sale of franchise teams for the league, which held its first season in December last year.
“This is the first time that, like in IPL or other leagues, we are actually now selling our team,” Rajan Navani, chief executive, JetSynthesis, told ET. “This will take it to a different scale, because the moment you sell your team to a particular city, you will have fans from that city, you will have deeper engagement, and it will enhance the entire experience.”
The new team and its owners represent a ‘perfect match’, with a set of individuals who are builders in the new India, success stories in their respective fields, representing India’s innovation capital Bengaluru, said Navani.
In its inaugural edition, the GEPL saw eight teams compete in playing Real Cricket, the video game created by JetSynthesis. The company said it saw a multiplatform reach of over 70 million and will have an expanded team format this time.
“The gaming industry is incredibly exciting right now, especially with how fast things are moving in India. We’ve reached a point where we’re not just participating in global gaming—we’re creating esportable games for the world,” said Kamath.
Discover the stories of your interest
He noted the opportunity to help foster and inspire young talent in this dynamic space and play a role in shaping the future of esports in India.”I’m truly passionate about the video gaming industry and excited about the vision JetSynthesys has for taking cricket to the world as India’s premier esport,” said Nagori. “Together, I believe we can turn gaming into the next big contributor to India’s GDP, and also a fulfilling career for many talented individuals.”
“This partnership with JetSynthesys aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and my belief in the potential of cricket as a global esport. Together, we can create a vibrant ecosystem that empowers aspiring gamers and showcases their talent on an international stage,” said Prakash.
Franchise owners will be partners and will play a role in building the league, said Navani, adding that there has also been global interest for team ownership.
“The top 100 players – we now pay them monthly salaries, we have got them on our rolls like in any sport. We want to build and nurture them,” Navani said on the potential for careers in e-cricket.
Full-time players even become content creators drawing brand endorsements and viewership will be a major driver for e-cricket to flourish, he added
Last year, the GEPL saw over 200,000 registrations, with the top 64 players making it to the teams.
Navani said that the edition showed the emergence of new athletes of a new and inclusive sport, where physical disabilities are not a deterrent, with one of the players being in a wheelchair.
“With cricket entering the Olympics in 2028, the world is going to be playing cricket, and GEPL could become a great way for people to learn and understand the game of cricket globally,” he added.
The finals of the second season of the GEPL are scheduled for January 2025.
