During the fifth Test match between India and England, Google CEO Sundar Pichai paid a surprise visit to the commentary box and shared his childhood affection for Indian cricket star Sunil Gavaskar.
Attending Day 3 at The Oval with his kid, Pichai revealed that Gavaskar’s poster previously hung on his bedroom wall during his formative years. He also vividly remembered being a nervous fan of Sachin Tendulkar, who is only a year younger than him.
“I just ran into Sunny in the hallway. I used to have a poster of him growing up. Gavaskar was the main one. I was a big Sachin fan. But the irony was, I couldn’t watch him when he was batting. I was so nervous he would get out, so I never watched him much, but really used to enjoy watching him,” Pichai said on air to commentators.
I don't think I have been in a commentary box with a corporate leader of this stature. Loves cricket, is extraordinarily down-to-earth. #SundarPichai pic.twitter.com/HrD5QiqVvW
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 2, 2025The words of Sundar Pichai triggered the thoughts about how the era of Sunil Gavaskar united many generations of cricket fans in India. It was the foundation on which the affection in people and the enthusiasm in people to follow Sachin Tendulkar took birth during his golden years. The story of Pichai resonated with many people-and rightly so, as he is himself a remarkable individual who started on the streets of Chennai and is now the head of one of the most well-regarded tech giants on the planet. In a sense, it is something that represents the emergence of Indian cricket heroes.
During the game, Pichai made a stunning prediction when Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja took India in front of 350. He predicts the team would come close to 400- and he was not wrong. England had to make a total of 374 runs with the help of England ending up 396.
“As an Indian fan, you’re pushing for the score to get above 350, and I think they may get there,” said Pichai.
At stumps on Day 4, England were 339/6, just 35 runs away from victory, chasing a target of 374. Key contributions came from Joe Root (105) and Harry Brook (111), who stitched together a 195-run stand to bring England close to sealing the series.
