Cricket and tech don’t usually collide—unless, of course, you throw Jasprit Bumrah, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk into the mix. Yes, the world’s deadliest yorker specialist somehow became the unexpected glue binding the Tesla overlord and the Google supremo in a delightful exchange on Twitter. And it all started with Bumrah wielding his bat like it was his third career option.
During India’s gripping Test match against Australia in Brisbane, Bumrah, better known for rattling stumps than smashing runs, staged a heroic 39-run partnership with Akash Deep. This partnership, as thrilling as a last-over T20 finish, helped India avoid the dreaded follow-on. Twitter erupted in applause, but it was Sundar Pichai’s cheeky tweet that stole the show:
“I did Google it 🙂 anyone who can hook Cummins for a six knows how to bat! Well done @Jaspritbumrah93 saving the follow-on with Deep!”
Enter Elon Musk, a man whose sporting inclinations so far seemed restricted to launching Tesla Roadsters into space. Musk, in his signature minimalist style, replied: “Nice.” And just like that, cricket entered Elon’s orbit.
But Pichai wasn’t done yet. The man, clearly on a mission to baptize Musk into the cricket fandom, followed up with an invitation:
“Gotta watch a SA-IND game one day at Newlands or Wanderers :)”
Cue the internet losing its collective mind over the idea of Musk and Pichai chilling at a cricket match, sipping chai, and discussing googlies (both cricketing and quantum computing ones).
Bumrah’s Mic-Drop Moment
This banter, however, has its roots in Bumrah’s legendary press conference earlier that day. When asked about his batting credentials, the fast bowler delivered a line so iconic it might as well be tattooed on every cricket fan’s heart:
“Interesting question. I think you should use Google and see who’s got the most runs in an over in a Test match.”
Absolute mic-drop moment. Of course, Bumrah ended it with “Jokes apart,” because, you know, humility and all that.
Naturally, Google India couldn’t resist jumping on the bandwagon, tweeting: “I only believe in Jassi Bhai “
For those unacquainted, “Jassi Bhai” is the nickname Bumrah’s teammates lovingly use for him. It gained fame thanks to Mohammad Siraj’s tearful admission after India’s T20 World Cup win in South Africa:
“I knew only Jassi Bhai could do it for India.”
But… Did Musk and Pichai Actually Play Cricket?
Here’s where reality douses our fantasy. Sundar Pichai, Tamil Nadu’s finest export after filter coffee, undoubtedly played cricket in his youth. Musk, though? Not so much. Despite being from South Africa—a nation that eats, breathes, and sledges cricket—Musk’s childhood obsessions were more about coding and rockets than cover drives.
So, no, the world hasn’t yet seen these two tech titans don cricket whites. But who knows? Maybe one day Musk will swap his Mars missions for mid-wicket musings, and Pichai will teach him how to hook a Cummins bouncer. Until then, we’ll just keep replaying this delightful Twitter banter on loop.
Moral of the Story: Never underestimate the power of cricket—it can bowl over billionaires, unite continents, and even make Elon Musk go “Nice.”
