[WATCH] ENG vs IND 2025: Sundar Pichai reveals his childhood admiration for Sunil Gavaskar

In a heartwarming moment during the fifth Test between India and England, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made a surprise visit to the commentary box, where he revealed his childhood admiration for Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.

Attending Day 3 at The Oval with his son, Pichai shared that Gavaskar's poster once adorned his bedroom wall during his formative years. He also fondly recalled being a nervous fan of Sachin Tendulkar, who is just 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.

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A surprise in the commentary box 🤩 Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins Harsha Bhogle for a short commentary stint 😲 #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings | @bhogleharsha @sundarpichai

10:29 PM · Aug 02, 2025

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Pichai’s revelation highlighted how Gavaskar’s era served as a bridge between generations of Indian cricket fans, laying the foundation for the passion that later surged during Tendulkar’s dominance. His anecdote struck a chord with many, especially considering his own inspiring journey, from the neighborhoods of Chennai to the helm of one of the world’s most influential tech companies, mirroring the rise of India’s cricketing greats.

During the match, as Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja accelerated India’s lead past 350, Pichai made a confident prediction about the score. His optimism proved accurate, as India eventually posted 396, setting England a daunting target of 374 runs.

“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 3, England were 50/1, needing 324 more runs with two days remaining to chase down the target in the final Test of the series. India will aim to take the remaining nine wickets to level the series 2-2, while England will be determined to either win or draw the match and clinch the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on home soil.