Pichai Joins Other Indian CEOs In $97 Million Bid For Cricket Team

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has joined an elite group of Silicon Valley executives in bidding for a London-based cricket team, sources reveal.

The consortium, led by Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and Satyan Gajwani, vice chairman of Times Internet has reportedly submitted a bid exceeding $97 million for either the Oval Invincibles or London Spirit. These teams are part of The Hundred, a short-format cricket tournament aimed at capturing younger audiences and families.

The group also includes Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Egon Durban, co-CEO of Silver Lake Management.

Indian American tech leaders have been instrumental in expanding cricket’s influence in the US. Both Nadella and Narayen are investors in Major League Cricket, a testament to the sport’s growing appeal beyond its traditional markets.

Pichai, an avid cricket enthusiast, has a deep-rooted connection to the sport, which originated in England but has since found its strongest following in countries like India, thanks to the Indian Premier League’s lucrative contracts.

In a bid to bolster cricket’s financial future in England, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) opened the doors to private investment for The Hundred‘s eight teams in September. The auction, managed by Raine Group—the investment bank that oversaw the sales of Manchester United and Chelsea FC—aims to raise over $308 million.