GEPL Season 3: Eight Franchises, Record Auction and a New Battle for the E-Cricket Crown

The Global Esports Premier League (GEPL) Season 3 is set for its biggest franchise battle yet, with the competition expanding from six to eight teams following the addition of two new franchises.

The eight-team field features a mix of returning sides, prominent business and entertainment personalities, and new ownership from the esports community, setting the stage for a closely contested season.

The Season 3 franchises are:

• Mumbai Grizzlies
• Pune Stallions
• Delhi Sharks
• Bengaluru Badgers
• Chennai Falcons
• Hyderabad Rhinos
• Kolkata Hawks
• Gujarat Wolves

Chennai Falcons Enter As Favourites

Defending champions Chennai Falcons will head into the new season as the team to beat after winning the Season 2 title.

The franchise is owned by Gopal Srinivasan of TVS Capital Funds, Madhusudanan R of M2P Fintech and Arjun Santhanakrishnan of GS Global. The ownership group has also publicly committed to a three-year vision for the franchise, giving Chennai continuity in both strategy and leadership as they attempt to defend their title.

However, the Season 3 auction has ensured that the champions will face a stronger challenge this time around. The auction, described as the most competitive in GEPL history, saw four players command bids of more than ₹3 lakh. Four of the five most expensive purchases also involved players moving to new franchises, highlighting the emphasis teams placed on proven performers rather than retaining their previous squads.

Mumbai Make The Biggest Statement

Mumbai Grizzlies made the biggest splash at the auction, spending a league-record ₹3.50 lakh to secure all-rounder Jetha Ram.

Pune Stallions were next, paying ₹3.40 lakh for Sagar Aanjana, while Hyderabad Rhinos spent ₹3.30 lakh on Sachin Chavan.

New franchise Kolkata Hawks also made an immediate statement in their debut season, signing Golden Kumar for ₹3.10 lakh.

The aggressive spending could make the four teams among the key contenders to challenge Chennai’s hold on the title.

New franchises add another dimension

The arrival of Kolkata Hawks and Gujarat Wolves takes the GEPL field to eight teams and adds fresh ownership profiles to the league.

Kolkata Hawks are backed by singer Sonu Nigam, while Gujarat Wolves are owned by esports veteran Tanmay Singh, better known as Scout.

The Gujarat franchise could be particularly interesting to watch given Scout’s deep roots in India’s gaming and esports community. Its approach to player scouting and squad building could provide an indication of how traditional competitive gaming expertise translates into the e-cricket ecosystem.

The remaining franchises also bring high-profile ownership to Season 3. Mumbai Grizzlies are backed by Sara Tendulkar, Pune Stallions by actor Suniel Shetty, and Delhi Sharks by Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal.

Bengaluru Badgers are owned by Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, Ankit Nagori of Curefoods and Prashant Prakash of Accel India, while Hyderabad Rhinos are backed by Amit Mehta of LNB Group.

With eight franchises, record auction spending and a mix of defending champions, ambitious new teams and high-profile