Peyush Bansal’s Delhi Sharks Move to The Top as GEPL Season 3 Playoff Race Intensifies

Delhi are currently on 12 points while second placed Chennai are hot on their heels with 10. Nikhil Kamath’s Bengaluru Badgers, who were fighting for survival going into the fourth day, also won both their matches to jump three rungs to the fourth spot on the eight-team table.

The day’s action began with defending champions Chennai Falcons edged last season's runners-up Mumbai Grizzlies by four wickets in a last-ball thriller to move to 10 points. Batting first, the Sara Tendulkar-owned Mumbai Grizzlies posted 67/4 despite losing skipper Davinder Singh early, with Jetha smashing 36 off 12 balls and Subhendu remaining unbeaten on 21. Chennai's chase was anchored by Player of the Match Shivam's composed 46. Mumbai fought back brilliantly in the closing stages, but the Falcons held their nerve to seal victory off the final ball.

In the second match of the day, Bengaluru Badgers registered a comfortable five-wicket victory over Suniel Shetty-owned Pune Stallions. Asked to bat, Pune posted a competitive 63/3, built around Sagar's explosive 33 off 13 balls and Ankit's useful 17. Bengaluru made light work of the chase as captain and Player of the match Manmeet Singh smashed an unbeaten 41 off 19 balls, while Rituraj chipped in with an unbeaten 23 off 10. The duo stitched together a match-winning 64-run partnership to guide the Ankit Nagori-owned Badgers home with ease.

The third match of the day produced another nail-biting finish as Mumbai Grizzlies survived a late scare to edge past Amit Mehta-owned Hyderabad Rhinos by two wickets in a low-scoring contest. Opting to field, Mumbai's bowlers dominated from the outset, with Bhupendra conceding just two runs in an over and skipper Davinder Singh claiming two wickets to bundle Hyderabad out for just 38 in 4.3 overs, one of the lowest totals of the tournament. Manish was the lone bright spot for the Rhinos with 21 runs. In reply, Sara Tendulkar’s Mumbai made heavy weather of the chase by losing wickets at regular intervals, but Player of the match Rohit Rathod (19 off 9) and Sonu (11 off 10) combined to take their side over the line.

The fourth match of the day saw Delhi Sharks produce a commanding all-round performance to outclass Scout’s Gujarat Wolves. Riding on a blistering unbeaten 47 off just 15 balls from Player of the Match Akshat Koundal, Delhi raced to 46 in the first two overs — the second-highest powerplay score of the tournament — before finishing on 77/2. Gujarat responded aggressively, smashing 40/2 in the powerplay to stay in the hunt. But Akshat returned with the ball to claim two crucial wickets at the right time, swinging the momentum back in Delhi's favour and sealing an impressive 18-run victory.

Bengaluru Badgers continued their winning momentum with a convincing four-wicket victory over Sonu Nigam-owned Kolkata Hawks in the fifth match of the day. The win was set up by a sensational bowling spell from Player of the Match Swapnil Superkar, who took a hat-trick, the second for the team this season, to return outstanding figures of 3/3 and bowl Kolkata out for just 53 in 4.2 overs. Bengaluru then made light work of the chase, reaching the target losing just one wicket in only 3.3 overs to register their second successive win of the day.

Despite remaining at the bottom of the leaderboard, Gujarat Wolves kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a hard-fought 13-run victory over Suniel Shetty-owned Pune Stallions in the penultimate match of the day. Vishal led the charge with an unbeaten 36 off just 14 balls as the Wolves posted a challenging 79/2. Pune fought back through Koli's valiant unbeaten 47 off 18 deliveries, but the target proved out of reach. Needing 20 off the final over, the Stallions lost wickets in heaps against the experienced Saurabh, eventually finishing on 66/4. Saurabh was adjudged the Player of the Match, for a hat-trick, and his decisive spell of 3/4.

The final match of the day saw Delhi Sharks complete a perfect outing with their second win, defeating Kolkata Hawks by four wickets while chasing down a competitive total. Asked to bat, Kolkata posted 67/2, courtesy of useful contributions from Aman Vishwakarma (18 off 10), Golden Kumar (26 off 12) and Aditya, whose unbeaten 21 off just seven balls provided the late flourish. In reply, the Peyush Bansal-owned Sharks made light work of the chase as openers Rohan (31 off 14) and captain Akshat (38* off 13) stitched together an unbroken 64-run stand to guide Delhi home comfortably.

Standings After Day 4:

Coming Up Next on Day 5:

●        Delhi Sharks vs Pune Stallions

●        Mumbai Grizzlies vs Kolkata Hawks

●        Pune Stallions vs Chennai Falcons

●        Gujarat Wolves vs Mumbai Grizzlies

●        Hyderabad Rhinos vs Chennai Falcons

●        Kolkata Hawks vs Gujarat Wolves

●        Bengaluru Badgers vs Hyderabad Rhinos

Played on Real Cricket™, which has crossed 400 million lifetime downloads, GEPL Season 3 features a ₹3.1 crore prize pool and is broadcast live in India on Star Sports Select and Star Sports Khel, streamed on JioHotstar, while making its international debut across the United States and Canada through Willow TV's FAST and direct-to-consumer platforms.

Watch the matches live on JioHotstar every day from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM:

https://www.hotstar.com/in/sports/esports/tournaments/global-e-cricket-premier-league

Catch the highlights from Match Day 4 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AwmyoOUhQ8

About GEPL:

The Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), launched by JetSynthesys, is the World's Only Franchise-Based E-Cricket League, bridging the gap between cricket, esports, and entertainment. The league offers a unique platform for aspiring athletes to showcase their talent while engaging millions of fans across India and beyond.

About JetSynthesys:

JetSynthesys is a global leader in digital entertainment and technology, specialising in video gaming & esports, and creators & experiences. With a reach spanning 180 countries and millions of users, JetSynthesys is committed to building innovative ecosystems where technology, video gaming, and entertainment converge. Founded in 2014 by Rajan Navani, JetSynthesys continues to redefine digital experiences while championing inclusivity and engagement across its platforms.