Watch: “He was a big idol for me” – Google CEO Sundar Pichai opens up about his childhood hero during IND vs SA Super 8 Clash

Google CEO Sundar Pichai was one of the special guests at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super Eights match between India and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday evening.

Pichai, who leads Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., sat in the stands with ICC Chair Jay Shah during the big match. This game was a rematch of the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Before the match started, Pichai carried the T20 World Cup trophy onto the field with former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

During the mid-innings break, Pichai spoke with former India head coach Ravi Shastri. He talked about his love for cricket and his childhood hero, Gavaskar. Pichai said, “When I was growing up, Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) was a big idol for me. We used to have the Sportstar poster on my walls. So, I have followed the sport from a young age.”

Watch the video here:

Pichai Shares His Love for Cricket

“I used to listen to the commentary on the radio for the games in the West Indies with my granddad and granduncle. I have always been into the game,” he added.

Other important guests at the India–South Africa match included ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta, former India captain MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni, and Bollywood director Farah Khan. The official attendance for the match was 90,954.

In a post on X, ICC Chair Jay Shah welcomed Sundar Pichai to the game. He said it was a pleasure for the ICC to host the CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc. at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He also said that the partnership with Google India is helping to grow the sport and bring fans closer to the game.

Also read -Watch: Faf du Plessis sings CSK anthem during IND vs SA T20 World Cup 2026 super 8 match

ICC and Google Partnership

The International Cricket Council has partnered with Google for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Google Gemini is the Official AI Fan Companion, and Google Pixel is the Official Smartphone of the tournament. According to the ICC, Gemini will help fans enjoy and understand the game in new ways. Google Pixel will capture special moments from inside the stadium.

South Africa Beat India by 76 Runs in the Super 8 Match

Defending champion India suffered its first loss of the tournament on February 22, 2026. South Africa won the Super Eight Group 1 match by 76 runs. South Africa scored 187 for 7 in 20 overs. In reply, India were all out for 111 in 18.5 overs.

India lost two early wickets during the chase. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma played quick shots against Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen and got out early. This early setback made the chase difficult for the team.