GEPL Season 3 Ends in Style: Chennai Falcons Beat Sara Tendulkar’s Mumbai Grizzlies to Retain Crown

Reported by Shoaib Tadvi and Priyanshu Banerjee
Kondhwa, 10th August, 2026: Defending champions Chennai Falcons successfully retained their Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL) title after defeating Sara Tendulkar-owned Mumbai Grizzlies 2-1 in a thrilling best-of-three final at the conclusion of Season 3 on Sunday.

The Chennai Falcons, jointly owned by Gopal Srinivasan, Madhusudana R. and Arjun Santhanakrishnan, held their nerve in a closely contested title battle against the Mumbai Grizzlies. After the two teams were locked at 1-1 following the first two finals, Chennai Falcons won the decisive third contest by two wickets to lift the championship trophy for the second consecutive season.

The result capped a competitive third season for GEPL, which expanded to eight franchises and further strengthened its position at the intersection of cricket, esports and entertainment.

Chennai Falcons hold their nerve in final

The title clash went down to the wire, with both franchises refusing to give each other an easy advantage. Mumbai Grizzlies pushed the defending champions throughout the final, but Chennai Falcons eventually emerged victorious in the deciding contest.

With the series tied 1-1, the pressure was on both sides in the third and final game. Chennai Falcons managed to overcome nervous moments and eventually secured a two-wicket victory, allowing them to successfully defend the title.

The victory was particularly significant for Chennai as it came in a season featuring eight competitive franchises, making the path to the championship tougher than in previous editions.

Chennai Falcons co-owner Gopal Srinivasan congratulated the team and said defending the title in such a competitive season made the achievement even more special.

“GEPL keeps raising the bar every year, and it’s exciting to see our team innovate with new strategies and capabilities to continue to be best in class,” Srinivasan said.

Jetha Ram dominates tournament charts

Despite Mumbai Grizzlies falling short in the final, their campaign was highlighted by an outstanding individual performance from Jetha Ram.

Ram finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 488 runs, earning the Orange Cap. His contribution was not limited to batting, as he also picked up 14 wickets during the tournament.

His all-round performance earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Tournament award.

Ram’s campaign was one of the defining individual stories of Season 3, with his performances helping Mumbai Grizzlies reach the final and mount a strong challenge against the defending champions.

Nadeem wins Purple Cap for Chennai

Chennai Falcons also had a standout performer in the bowling department, with Nadeem finishing the tournament at the top of the wicket-taking charts.

Nadeem claimed 19 wickets to win the Purple Cap, playing an important role in Chennai’s successful title defence.

His performance complemented the team’s overall campaign and helped the Falcons navigate a competitive eight-team tournament.

Chennai’s Deepak was another major contributor during the season. After finishing as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer, Deepak was named the Emerging Player of the Tournament.

Delhi Sharks finish third, Bengaluru Badgers fourth

Peyush Bansal-owned Delhi Sharks finished the tournament as the second runners-up, securing third place overall.

The Bengaluru Badgers, co-owned by Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori and Prashanth Prakash, finished fourth.

Badgers co-owner Prashanth Prakash said the result reflected the growing competitiveness of GEPL, with all eight franchises demonstrating greater depth and higher standards of play.

“Finishing fourth in a field this competitive tells you how much stronger GEPL has become as a league,” Prakash said, adding that the increasing difficulty of winning the tournament was a positive sign for its development.

GEPL expands to eight franchises

Season 3 marked a major expansion for the league, with GEPL increasing its field to eight full franchises.

The two new teams were:

– Kolkata Hawks, owned by music icon Sonu Nigam
– Gujarat Wolves, owned by veteran esports player Scout, also known as Tanmay Singh

They joined the six existing franchises:

– Delhi Sharks — Peyush Bansal
– Bengaluru Badgers — Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori and Prashanth Prakash
– Chennai Falcons — Gopal Srinivasan, Madhusudana R. and Arjun Santhanakrishnan
– Mumbai Grizzlies — Sara Tendulkar
– Pune Stallions — Suniel Shetty
– Hyderabad Rhinos — Amit Mehta

The expansion was seen as an important step in GEPL’s development as a mainstream, franchise-led sports and entertainment property.

Sara Tendulkar praises Chennai Falcons

Sara Tendulkar, who has been involved with GEPL since the early stages of Season 2 and owns the Mumbai Grizzlies, acknowledged the growth of e-cricket and praised her team’s performance despite the defeat.

Tendulkar said that, having grown up around traditional cricket, GEPL offered her an entirely new experience and gave her an opportunity to understand the dedication and hard work required in e-cricket.

She said she was proud of what Mumbai Grizzlies had achieved during the season and congratulated Chennai Falcons on their victory.

“Chennai Falcons played brilliantly and thoroughly deserve the win,” Tendulkar said.

Rajan Navani: GEPL is building a genuine sport

JetSynthesys Chairman Rajan Navani said Season 3 demonstrated the league’s growing ambitions and its efforts to establish e-cricket as a genuine sporting property rather than simply a tournament.

Navani pointed to the expansion to eight franchises, GEPL’s first international broadcast and the closely contested final as indicators of the league’s progress.

“Season 3 has been the biggest proof yet of what GEPL set out to do – build a genuine sport, not just a tournament,” Navani said.

He congratulated Chennai Falcons on defending their title and praised all the franchises for making the third season bigger than previous editions.

JetSynthesys eyes Season 4

Jogesh Lulla, Senior Vice President – Sports at JetSynthesys, described Season 3 as the league’s most competitive season yet.

Lulla said the closely fought final demonstrated the level of competition in the league and highlighted Jetha Ram’s all-round performance as one of the major stories of the season.

He also confirmed that preparations for the next edition have already begun.

“We’re already looking ahead to Season 4,” Lulla said.

JetSynthesys has confirmed that GEPL will return for a fourth season, with plans to strengthen the league’s community and grassroots footprint.

Mandira Bedi highlights accessibility of e-cricket

Actor and television presenter Mandira Bedi, who attended the grand finale, praised the league’s growth and production standards.

Bedi highlighted improvements in the organisation, venue and standard of play and said one of GEPL’s key strengths was its accessibility.

According to Bedi, the league demonstrates that people can participate in e-cricket with something as accessible as a mobile phone and strong reflexes.

She congratulated Chennai Falcons and JetSynthesys for building the property into something increasingly prominent.

Star-studded grand finale

The GEPL Season 3 grand finale brought together several prominent figures from India’s business, entertainment, sports and gaming ecosystems.

Among those present were Sara Tendulkar, owner of Mumbai Grizzlies; Prashant Prakash, co-owner of Bengaluru Badgers; Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman of Poonawalla Group; Sean Sohn, CEO of Krafton India; and actor and television presenter Mandira Bedi.

The participation of business founders, investors and cultural personalities reflected GEPL’s franchise-based model, in which prominent figures have backed teams as long-term sporting and entertainment properties rather than simply as sponsorship opportunities.

GEPL seeks to bridge cricket and esports

Powered by Real Cricket™️, GEPL was launched by JetSynthesys as a franchise-based e-cricket league designed to connect cricket, esports and entertainment.

The league aims to provide aspiring e-cricket players with a platform to showcase their skills while building a fan base across India and international markets.

The third season represented a further step towards establishing e-cricket as a structured franchise sport, with the league expanding its franchise base, increasing its reach and introducing an international broadcast.

With Season 3 concluding with a closely fought final between Chennai Falcons and Mumbai Grizzlies, the league now turns its attention to Season 4.

The defending champions will enter the next season as the team to beat, while the growing competition among the eight franchises is expected to further raise the stakes as GEPL continues its push to build a long-term e-cricket ecosystem.