Google CEO Sundar Pichai makes surprise commentary debut during India-England Test
Pichai was in the box during a key phase of the match, as Washington Sundar hit a quickfire 53 off 46 balls, helping India post 396 in their second innings and set a target of 374 for England. England were 50/1 at stumps.
Google CEO, a cricket fan from childhood
India-born Sundar Pichai shared fond memories of his love for cricket, telling Bhogle, 'I ran into Sunil Gavaskar at the stadium, and I had a poster of him in my room while I was growing up.'
He added that he was a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar – so much so that he would get nervous watching the master blaster bat.
Despite running one of the world's largest tech companies, Pichai said that he still finds time to follow the game. 'I catch highlights. I listen to you on Cricbuzz, and I follow podcasts and commentary on YouTube,' the Google CEO told Harsha Bhogle.
Pichai has himself been to a part of cricket history — he revealed that the first ever game he'd seen live was the 1986 tied test in Chennai between India and Australia. 'The first game I ever saw live was the Chennai tied test,' he said. 'I was there on the last day, and randomly saw one of the two ever tests in the history of the game that were tied. That's what got me hooked to cricket,' he said.
Sundar Pichai on Washington Sundar
While Pichai was on air, Washington Sundar was batting, which led to a light moment. 'They call me 'California Sundar' to disambiguate,' Pichai joked, referring to how Google Australia teams distinguish between him and the cricketer after Sundar's 2021 heroics in Australia.
Bhogle complimented Pichai's ease in the commentary box, especially his habit of pausing while the ball was being bowled. 'I'm sitting next to the best,' Pichai replied.
Commenting on the series, Pichai said, 'What a series it's been. Loved the fight between both teams. At this point, I'd put money on a 2-2,' backing India to win the final match.
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