Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicts India-England final in World Cup 2019

He might be working in the US which is not known to be a cricket-playing power but Sundar Pichai still has his attachment to the sport. The Madurai-born 46-year-old has predicted that former champions India will meet hosts England in the final of the ICC World Cup 2019 and that he was backing Virat Kohli’s team. The final of the World Cup will be played at Lord’s on July 14.

Both India and England are playing well in the tournament so far. While Team India has won two games so far, the third was abandoned because of rain. England, on the other hand, have four points from three games with two wins and one loss. Three of the last four games in the World Cup have been washed out, leaving the fans utterly frustrated.

Pichai, who is heading the California-based internet giant since 2015, called himself a passionate cricket fan and said when he had come to the US, he found the local popular sport baseball to be challenging.

Australia and New Zealand are very, very good teams

“It (ICC Cricket World Cup final match) should be (between) England and India. But, you know, Australia and New Zealand, these are all very, very good teams,” Pichai was heard telling a Washington audience that included US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top corporate executives from both India and the US at the India Ideas Summit of USIBC on Wednesday. On the occasion, Pichai received the Global Leadership Award.

He revealed his expectations from the Cricket World Cup when he was asked by USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal about his thoughts on the probable finalists in the tournament. Also sharing some of his experiences in cricket and baseball in the US, Pichai said: “When I first came here, I tried to kind of adapt to baseball. I have to say it was a bit challenging. In my first game, I was proud because I hit the ball on the back. It’s a really good shot in cricket. I was like, well look, what I did. But people didn’t appreciate it.”

He said since, in cricket, a batsman runs with his bat, he tried to do the same while playing baseball where the bat is dropped while running. But eventually, he came to the conclusion that baseball was a bit difficult and he would stick to cricket.