Sundar Pichai and Sunil Gavaskar showcase T20 World Cup 2026 trophy on the field

Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Google and its parent Alphabet Inc., unveiled the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy ahead of India’s Super 8 match against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

India suffered a 76-run defeat against South Africa in the match.

Pichai was joined by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar as they brought the silverware onto the field before the rematch of the 2024 final between the two sides. ICC Chairman Jay Shah was also present at the venue.

Trophy unveiling and special appearances

The unveiling ceremony drew significant attention from fans and media. Pichai, a noted cricket enthusiast, was later seen in conversation with former India head coach Ravi Shastri in the commentary box during the match.

In a post on his official X handle, Jay Shah said, "It is a pleasure for @ICC to host Google and Alphabet CEO @sundarpichai at India and South Africa's #T20WorldCup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Our partnership with @GoogleIndia continues to grow our sport across and bring fans closer to the game than ever."

The International Cricket Council and Google have partnered for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, naming Google Gemini as the Official AI Fan Companion and Google Pixel as the Official Smartphone. According to the ICC, Gemini will serve as a creative partner for fans to interpret and celebrate the game, while Google Pixel will capture unique perspectives from within the stadium.

India, one of the host nations, advanced to the Super 8 stage with four consecutive Group A victories over Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States. South Africa topped Group D after defeating New Zealand, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and Canada.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat in the opening Super 8 match. The Proteas made four changes to their previous playing XI, bringing in Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, David Miller and Marco Jansen, while India fielded an unchanged side.

The match revisited the rivalry from the 2024 T20 World Cup final, where India had secured a seven-run victory, but on this occasion South Africa emerged victorious by 76 runs.