Gujarat Titans' (GT) decision to bench Washington Sundar puzzled fans and sparked a wave of reactions online, including a surprising comment from the Google CEO Sundar Pichai, a fellow Tamil Nadu native and namesake of the cricketer.
Gujarat Titans kicked off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25, Tuesday. As they lost by 11 runs, fans scrutinized their playing combination and wondered why they decided to bench Washington, who was only in the list of Impact Substitutes.
The Titans picked up the all-rounder for INR 3.2 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, raising expectations that he would be a vital part of their line-up. Yet, when the team sheet came out without his name, fans took to social media to vent their surprise.Â
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One fan, Pushkar, posted on X,
"How Sundar sneaks into India’s best 15 but can’t crack an IPL XI with 10 teams is a mystery."
To everyone’s shock, Pichai replied,Â
"I’ve been wondering this too," with a smiley face, showing he is just as puzzled as an average cricket follower.
Pichai’s comment lit up social media, with fans joking about "one Sundar wondering about another." Some playfully asked him for a job at Google, while others marveled at a tech giant joining the cricket debate.
Washington Sundar's IPL Record
Sundar’s IPL record might offer some clues as to why GT left him out of their playing 11. In 60 matches across multiple teams, he has scored 378 runs and taken 37 wickets, but his bowling average sits at a high 35.81.Â
His recent T20 form has not been standout either, which could explain Gujarat’s choice to bench him for the opener. Still, leaving out a player with his international experience raised eyebrows, especially since the Titans lost by 11 runs despite a strong effort from their batters.
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Sundar Pichai Buys Stake in The HundredÂ
Pichai, one of cricket’s biggest fans, has already put his money where his passion is. In February 2024, he joined a powerhouse group of US-based Indian tech leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, Times Internet vice chairman Satyan Gajwani, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Silverlake Technology CEO Egon Durban, Sequoia’s Jim Goetz, and two others, to win a bid for 49% ownership of London Spirit, a team in The Hundred, England’s famous cricket league.Â
This move has fueled talks of a potential IPL investment down the line.
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