The T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad saw a heavy-hitting presence in the commentary box that had nothing to do with batting averages. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc., joined former India coach Ravi Shastri during the mid-innings break on Sunday to share his lifelong passion for the game.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai reveals his cricketing idol during IND vs SA Super 8 clash

Pichai, who was born in Madurai, took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, describing himself as an ardent cricket enthusiast whose childhood was defined by the legendary exploits of India’s original ‘Little Master,’ Sunil Gavaskar.

During his guest appearance on air, the 53-year-old Pichai painted a vivid picture of his upbringing in a cricket-crazy Indian household. He recounted the days of listening to crackling radio commentary for matches held in the West Indies, often surrounded by his grandfather and granduncle. Pichai revealed that his admiration for Sunil Gavaskar was so profound that it took a physical form on his bedroom walls, serving as a daily inspiration long before he became one of the most powerful figures in the global tech industry.

“Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) was a big idol for me. I used to have the Sportstar poster on my wall. I have followed it since my very 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.” Pichai said.

The occasion was made even more significant as Pichai was given the honor of carrying the ICC T20 World Cup trophy onto the field, walking side-by-side with his childhood hero, Sunil Gavaskar. The former India captain later reflected on their warm relationship, noting that it is a unique experience to meet a fan who has achieved such staggering international success. As per India Today, Gavaskar shared that during their walk to the pitch, both men shared a common hope, that India’s current stars would eventually lift the silverware at the end of the tournament.

“Well, I’ve met him before. Earlier on, he had told me about having my posters in his bedroom. It always feels nice to meet somebody who’s been a fan of yours, a well-wisher, and someone who has done so well in his career and achieved so much in the tech world. As we were walking out with the World Cup trophy, we both said we hoped Suryakumar Yadav would get his hands on it on the 8th. And I’m sure we’re both praying that happens.” Gavaskar said.

Sundar Pichai🎙️

Sunil Gavaskar was his childhood idol and that he has followed cricket since a young age. He shared this during a mid innings chat with Ravi Shastri in the India vs South Africa Super 8 match.

Earlier, Pichai and Gavaskar unveiled the T20 World Cup trophy… pic.twitter.com/ZqHuABReHh

— .🫟 (@MaxCrik8) February 22, 2026

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: R Ashwin points out India’s two key mistakes after Super 8 defeat to South Africa

Sundar Pichai witnessed the Ahmedabad clash along with ICC chairman Jay Shah

After his stint on the microphone, Pichai joined ICC Chairman Jay Shah in the stands to witness what turned out to be a sobering night for Indian cricket fans. While the tech giant enjoyed the spectacle as part of Google’s association with the tournament, the action on the field favoured the visitors. David Miller (63) and Dewald Brevis (45) powered South Africa to a formidable 187/7, while India’s batting lineup ‘stumbled; under the pressure of the chase. Despite the star-studded support in the pavilion, India was bundled out for 111, handing the Proteas a massive 76-run victory and leaving the hosts with a mountainous task in their remaining Super 8 fixtures.

Also READ: After defeat against South Africa, India coach explains why Washington Sundar got the nod over Axar Patel

NEW DELHI: For Lungi Ngidi, the key moment in his growth as a T20 bowler did not arrive on the international stage but during a formative stint in the IPL nets.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 2018 season with Chennai Super Kings offered him limited game time, yet it proved pivotal. Spending long hours training alongside Dwayne Bravo, Ngidi worked extensively on his slower deliveries — a skill that would later become a defining feature of his T20 bowling.

Against India in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, Ngidi returned impressive figures of 0 for 15 in four overs, including 10 dot balls. He once again relied on subtle variations and clever changes of pace, frequently alternating between wide yorkers and cutters. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav struggled to read him, often setting up for an anticipated off-cutter only to be surprised by a different variation.Recalling his transformation, Ngidi said: “Like I’ve always said, I was at the IPL in 2018 with Bravo, and that entire IPL, that’s all I worked on. I wasn’t playing, so I got time to practice it. And then when I got back to South Africa, I just tried to perfect that ball.”He acknowledged that mastering change-ups required patience.“Whether it’s a slow ball yorker, or back of length or slow ball bouncer. So three different lengths with the same ball. I guess you’ve got to guess which one’s coming next,” he said.Ngidi believes staying under the radar benefits him.“I think probably just flying under the radar. So not many people pay attention to me. But I guess that helps me in terms of being able to us all these variations,” he said.Detailing his strategy against India, he added, “And then tonight, I used my leg cutter because I know that they’re obviously probably preparing for just an off-cutter. I could see Surya set up as well, looking to sort of just lift it over the leg side.“So just to show him something different, keep him guessing. And that seemed to work pretty well.”For Ngidi, the focus was on pressure rather than wickets.“But I guess just looking at the scoreboard and seeing their position, I kind of knew what I had to do. It was pretty much more build pressure than try to be greedy and put my name up in the wickets column. So, yeah, using that tactic, I guess it worked off pretty well tonight,” he said.He feels the slower ball gives him an edge in modern T20 cricket.“But I think having my slower ball gives me the upper hand in terms of batsmen can’t just swing every ball. We’ve seen that a bit in the power play. So once you have to think, I think that’s where I come into the game.”Ultimately, Ngidi aims to create doubt.“Once you start second-guessing your options, I think that’s what a bowler really wants in the end.“And then all of a sudden, once the pressure’s building, I don’t think they have an answer for what I’m about to deliver next. So it kind of works in my favour that nobody really thinks about me,” Ngidi added.

Pune: In the aftermath of the Feb 3 incident reported near Adoshi Tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, in which a tanker carrying propylene gas overturned and resulted in a 32-hour traffic logjam along the route, multiple authorities have said they are now working on long-term measures to handle such emergencies. Officials concerned also said strict enforcement of existing SOPs remains the only immediate step to prevent a recurrence.A senior official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Monday told TOI they have directed all stakeholders to strictly enforce existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deal with emergencies on the expressway.

For a long-term solution, a seven-member committee led by CP Joshi, former president of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), has been constituted already, following instructions from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The committee is co-chaired by S Mohite, former joint commissioner of traffic and inspector general of police (IGP-Konkan region). It also includes two representatives from the transport department, a techno-legal expert, an official from MSRDC, and a member of an NGO.“The committee will undertake a detailed study of the incident and recommend measures to deal with similar situations in the future. The objective is to enhance safety not only on the Mumbai-Pune expressway but also the Samruddhi Expressway. The panel is expected to submit its report within two months,” an MSRDC official said.A senior official of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), the company that owns the tankers involved both in the Feb 3 incident and a similar one on Feb 23, told TOI that the company has also initiated its own corrective measures to prevent a repeat.“Our drivers are trained well to operate vehicles carrying hazardous gases. They undergo trainings twice every quarter, which ensures that each driver attends at least one mandatory session per quarter,” the official said, adding that driver awareness initiatives are also conducted once every week.According to state disaster management officials, the delay in deploying a recovery van to plug the leakage on Feb 3 was the primary reason it took authorities longer to bring the situation under control. The recovery van was stationed at the Kochi refinery at the time of the accident, posing a major logistical challenge.A senior official of BPCL said the company has also initiated corrective measures like making a ‘mutual aid facility’ to coordinate between various agencies as a long-term solution, which could help prevent a recurrence of the Feb 3 incident. “We have decided to station quick response teams (QRTs) within a 200km radius along routes used for transporting hazardous gases. A similar system is already in place for LPG, and it will now be upgraded to handle gases such as propene and propylene,” a senior BPCL official said, adding that a meeting is scheduled on Feb 26 to expedite these measures.At present, the QRTs are located at depots and refineries of BPCL and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), he said.Highway police officers said that they recently conducted a joint inspection drive with MSRDC and other stakeholders, during which a series of immediate, short-term measures were discussed.Among these proposals is increasing the number of median openings at intervals of 2-2.5km, particularly in the ghat section, in a bid to facilitate swift diversion of traffic in the event of an accident. A proposal to set up an emergency help centre in the ghat section was also discussed, a highway police officer said.

NEW DELHI: In a stern message, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday asked banks to focus on core banking and said it was an offence to mis-sell insurance products.“I am glad that RBI is coming up with guidance on why mis-selling will not be entertained. The message should go to the banks that you cannot afford to mis-sell. The word mis-sell, instead of offending anybody, seems to be one more word in the lexicon,” Sitharaman said after addressing the central bank’s board.Thousands of bank customers have complained of executives hawking insurance products, which they either did not need or were sold on false projections. RBI has proposed new norms that will kick in from July. It has suggested that banks refund the entire amount paid by the customer for the purchase of the product or service and also compensate the customer for any loss arising due to mis-selling as per an approved policy.“My pet peeve has been that you do your core banking business, you are spending more time on selling insurance, where it is not required, perhaps… Why should he take another insurance when he has life insurance, health insurance, fire insurance?” Sitharaman said, while urging banks to focus on assessing the requirement of customers.In what was seen as a reference to regulatory vacuum, she pointed out that earlier, the insurance regulator didn’t act as banks were involved, while RBI didn’t step in as insurance product was being sold.Keeping an eye on gold FM also said that govt and RBI are keeping an eye on gold imports and there was nothing alarming. She attributed higher imports to an increase in prices, which she said came amid heavy buying by central banks. During April-Dec last year, India’s gold imports in value terms increased by about $1 billion annually to $50 billion. Sitharaman said that gold has always been a favoured investment for households, whether as an asset class or for jewellery, and to meet the domestic requirements, India is a net importer of gold.RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra said during April-Dec 2025, the increase in prices was offset more or less by the decrease in the volumes of imported gold. “It’s only in Jan, we are still analysing those numbers, that there has been a sudden spurt in value as well as in volume, as the finance minister also mentioned, there is a lot of fluctuations, seasonality in that particular demand,” he said, adding that there was no case to be unduly concerned as India’s external sector remained strong.Banks well capitalisedMalhotra also said that banks were well capitalised and the monetary policy committee will take a decision on further policy rate cut, depending on evolving growth and inflation dynamics. Assuring the market about comfortable liquidity, Malhotra said the RBI will take all measures to provide durable liquidity to all market segments. He also played down concerns over slow deposit growth, saying there had been a pick up.

India’s Super 8 campaign began on the worst possible note as South Africa handed them a crushing 76-run defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Entering the stage as one of the strongest favourites to defend their T20 World Cup crown, the hosts were thoroughly outclassed in every department. The heavy loss not only dented their confidence but also severely damaged their net run rate.Nothing seemed to fall into place for the defending champions. South Africa dominated with bat and ball, putting India under immediate pressure in Group 1. The equation is now simple but daunting. India must win their remaining fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to keep their semi-final hopes alive. Even consecutive victories may not guarantee qualification, given the substantial blow to their net run rate following the defeat to Aiden Markram’s side.

The result also brought renewed attention to a bold prediction made earlier by former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir. He had claimed that India would struggle to reach the semi-finals, arguing that both South Africa and the West Indies had displayed stronger form during the group stage. At the time, Amir faced heavy criticism from Indian fans on social media.After the Ahmedabad encounter, former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf reacted on X, appearing to acknowledge Amir’s foresight while also teasing him.

Mohammad Yousaf post

“Oye @iamamirofficial, you menace! You tormented #India on the field, and now you’re rattling them from the studio. Let them breathe; they’re already under fire. South Africa, the finalists, have picked up right where they left off last #T20WorldCup. A formidable side! Top order stumbled, but the lower order delivered, and the bowling discipline was exceptional,” Yousuf wrote.In the match itself, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat. Despite slipping to 20/3, they recovered brilliantly to post 187/7. David Miller led the charge with 63, while Dewald Brevis made 45 and Tristan Stubbs remained unbeaten on 44. Miller and Brevis stitched together a crucial 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket to shift momentum.India’s reply never gained traction. Marco Jansen claimed four wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 111. Shivam Dube top-scored with 42, preventing an even steeper collapse, but it was far from enough on a night that has left India’s campaign hanging in the balance.