T20 WC: Google CEO Pichai attends India-South Africa clash in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Feb 22
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was among the high-profile attendees in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super Eights clash between India and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday evening.
Pichai, who heads Google and its parent company Alphabet joined ICC Chair Jay Shah in the stands for one of the tournament's marquee fixtures which is also a rematch of the 2024 edition final. Pichai was also part of the pre-match proceedings, carrying the T20 World Cup trophy onto the field alongside former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
Pichai's attendance came on the sidelines of Google's role as an official partner of the ongoing tournament, underscoring the growing collaboration between global technology leaders and the international cricket arena.
Pichai, born in Madurai, later joined former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri on air during the mid-innings break and spoke about his lifelong passion for the sport and the influence of Gavaskar on his early years as a cricket fan.
"Sunny (Gavaskar) was a big idol for me. I used to have the Sportstar poster on my wall. I have followed it from really young days. I used to listen to it (commentary) on the radio for the games in the West Indies with my granddad, granduncle, and so on. I have always been into the game," he said.
Other dignitaries in attendance for the India-South Africa clash include ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi, and Bollywood choreographer-director Farah Khan. As of now, the official attendance for the match is at 90,954.
Earlier in the evening, South Africa posted 187/7 in their 20 overs after electing to bat first, with David Miller (63), Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44 not out) being the aggressors. Jasprit Bumrah starred for India with figures of 3-15, while Arshdeep Singh took 2-28.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The collaboration between tech giants like Google and cricket is fascinating. It shows how sports broadcasting and fan engagement are evolving. Also, 90,954 people in the stadium! The atmosphere must have been electric.
Respect to Pichai for remembering his roots and talking about listening to radio commentary with his family. That's a very relatable Indian childhood memory for many of us! Bumrah's bowling was the real highlight though – 3/15 in a T20 is phenomenal.
While it's nice to see celebrities, I hope the focus remains on the sport and the players' incredible performance. South Africa put up a good fight, but our bowlers were clinical. Hope we go on to win the cup this time! 💙
MS Dhoni in the stands quietly watching is a whole mood. Legend! And Farah Khan too – quite the guest list. Ahmedabad stadium never fails to deliver a spectacle.
As someone new to following cricket, it's interesting to see how deeply the sport is woven into Indian culture and business. The scale of everything – from the stadium size to the corporate partnerships – is impressive.
K Kavya N Love this! We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.