Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL) presented by JetSynthesys will open doors to cricket, video gaming and e-sports enthusiasts, offering a prize pool of Rs 2.51 crore. This world’s first e-Cricket league will be streamed on JioCinema and Sports18.
GEPL draws its inspiration from the globally popular skill-based free-to-play (FTP) mobile cricket simulation game, Real Cricket. As the first and largest team-based e-Cricket league, GEPL paves the way for employment opportunities across the esports ecosystem, including operations, players, broadcast, talent, etc. As part of the eight teams, GEPL will offer salaries to the top players, vying for the title of the “e-Cricket Icon” globally.
Between 28 June and 8 July, GEPL received over two lakh registrations from a pool of over one crore e-Cricket athletes who played Real Cricket on an average for an hour a day. In the qualifiers which took place from 14 July till 10 August, participants engaged in single-elimination matches to emerge as the crème de la crème, the top 100 players. These athletes advanced to the draft phase.
GEPL league promoter and JetSynthesys founder and CEO Rajan Navani stated, “We are excited about the prospects of a league that will redefine the cricketing landscape in esports and enable players and fans to experience an engaging gaming platform. With GEPL, we aim to transform the esports industry and create new avenues for aspiring professionals to pursue their passion in a more structured and career-oriented manner.”
GEPL CEO & league commissioner and JetSynthesys esports president Rohit Potphode added, “We are committed to fostering growth, promoting talent, and empowering players to achieve their full potential through our platform. With a focus on authenticity and excellence, we aim to bring the excitement and thrill of esports cricket to fans in India and around the world, creating a culture of enthusiasm and passion that resonates with the enthusiasts.
“We have been focused on serving the rapidly growing esports fanbase with engaging, fresh, and unique content,” said a Viacom18 spokesperson. “It is an exciting proposition to present a tournament that marries India’s love for cricket, with the youth’s increasing preference for gaming and entertainment all in one place. With newfound consumer preferences for digital and esports coming together through JioCinema and GEPL, we want to redefine the viewer experience in this genre.”
