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New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Game On
With a career that has been active for over three decades, Suniel Shetty is known for his roles in blockbusters like the Hera Pheri series and has been a source of entertainment to audiences across generations, playing roles across the spectrum. Recently, perhaps unbeknownst to many, the actor-producer has donned a different cap as an entrepreneur; he has become the owner of Pune Stallions, a gaming team that participated in the recently-concluded second season of Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), held at Koramangala Indoor Stadium, Bengaluru. Shetty, whose team had been out of contention for some time, still attended the tense final between Mumbai Grizzlies and Chennai Falcons, with the latter going on to win. The Bollywood star, interestingly, is far from a nominal owner; before making his public appearance, he went backstage to observe the teams and their plans, along with Sara Tendulkar, who, as the owner of Mumbai Grizzlies, was also in attendance, accompanied by her mother, Anjali Tendulkar. Shetty, who was enthused by the rise of the sport, made no effort to conceal his zeal. 'I think gaming has taken over the world. I went backstage to understand... it's incredible and very hard. From the corner of my eyes I saw Sara [Tendulkar] getting nervous and biting her nails,' he quipped. What perhaps gripped Shetty the most was that the players playing the game had their 'likenesses' copied to the video game, Real Cricket 24. This is pivotal because they are seeing themselves, playing on the screen, further dissolving the divide between 'real' and virtual cricket. 'It's their voices and their own images. So when you play, you're the one who's being projected on screen. The world is seeing you. With a game like EA Sports FC [a football video game franchise] , you have the gamers playing with likenesses of real footballers. So for the kids, that talent is never showcased. This is the first time ever that I've seen that the kids, and who they are, are being showcased, and that's the beauty of this league,' he said. For Shetty, the father-in-law of KL Rahul, who has been playing pivotal knocks in the ongoing IPL, owning an e-cricket franchise does not seem as far-fetched. Moreover, as he reveals, his son Ahan Shetty is 'obsessed with e-sports', specifically football. 'It is an alternative career. And you've seen that with IPL [and youths being ushered into cricket careers]. This is exactly how I see it. Once you're into a sport, whether it's on the field or otherwise, once you're part of a team, you learn to lose together and win together; it shows a lot of character,' he concluded.
Economic Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Suniel Shetty enters Global e-Cricket Premier League as investor; acquires its Pune franchise
Suniel Shetty has invested in the Pune franchise for the second season of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), demonstrating his commitment to digital sports. The league, organized by JetSynthesys, will be held in Bengaluru from April 27 to May 2. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Actor and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty has acquired the Pune franchise in the upcoming second season of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), expanding his footprint in the digital sports and esports league, organised by digital entertainment company JetSynthesys , will take place in Bengaluru from April 27 to May GEPL, positioned as India's first and largest franchise-based e-cricket league, combines traditional cricket fandom with competitive online a long-time supporter of the sport, joins the league not only as a celebrity face but as an investor, bringing experience from previous engagements in sports-focused ventures, JetSynthesys said in a press release on Thursday."Cricket has always been close to my heart — from playing it, supporting it, to now investing in its digital future," Shetty said in a statement. "GEPL is redefining how fans engage with the game, and I'm excited to be part of a league that's breaking new ground and igniting passion among India's youth through e-cricket.'JetSynthesys founder and CEO Rajan Navani said Shetty's association adds credibility and visibility to the growing e-cricket ecosystem. 'His enduring love for cricket, combined with his entrepreneurial drive and youth-centric approach, makes him an ideal partner to take GEPL forward,' Navani league has seen rapid growth since its debut, with player registrations jumping from 200,000 in Season 1 to over 910,000 this year. Season 2 will feature 34 matches and a prize pool of Rs 3.05 gameplay is powered by the Real Cricket 24 platform and follows a team-based franchise model, aiming to create a sustainable esports structure around cricket.
