“I Felt Like I Was on a Film Set — But This Was Real!”: Suniel Shetty Talks His E-Sports Immersion and What It Taught Him.
Suniel Shetty, known for his high-octane action roles, recently found himself in the middle of a different kind of adrenaline rush. “I think gaming has taken over the world,” he says, brimming with excitement about his first live experience at an e-cricket match. But this wasn’t just any e-cricket match—it was the Global E-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), where Suniel Shetty owns the Pune franchise.
Describing the intensity of the match, Shetty couldn’t hide his awe. “I went backstage just to understand… it’s incredible and very hard. And from the corner of my eyes, I saw Sara [Tendulkar], owner of the Mumbai Grizzlies, getting nervous, biting her nails,” he laughed. His own nerves were on edge too, but what stood out most wasn’t just the nail-biting tension—it was the immersion of the players themselves in the game.
For someone who will be portraying the role of a fierce warrior on screen with his upcoming feel Kesari Veer, Shetty saw the same determination in the digital athletes. “It’s like the same spirit I see in my movie roles—heart, hustle, and hunger. They’re just getting started, and trust me, this is only the beginning,” he said, connecting the passion of the digital world with the valour he portrays on screen.
Shetty’s foray into the world of e-cricket is proof that his relentless pursuit of new challenges is far from over—whether it’s owning a team in GEPL or exploring the digital frontier of gaming. The actor, entrepreneur, and now e-sports enthusiast sees this as an exciting new chapter, one that’s just beginning to unfold.
