Cricket, a sport beloved by billions around the world, has been steadily gaining popularity in the United States in recent years. And now, tech CEOs such as Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen are investing in cricket’s American dream.
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, was born in India where cricket is a national obsession. He has been a longtime fan of the sport and has been actively involved in promoting cricket in the US. In 2016, Nadella became a minority owner of the Indian Premier League team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has also been instrumental in bringing cricket to Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington, where employees can play the sport during their lunch breaks.
Shantanu Narayen, the CEO of Adobe, is another tech executive who is passionate about cricket. Born in India, Narayen has been a supporter of the sport for many years. In 2016, he joined Nadella as a minority owner of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Narayen has also been involved in promoting cricket in the US, particularly among the South Asian community.
These tech CEOs are not alone in their support for cricket in the US. Other notable investors include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who is a fan of the sport and has expressed his desire to see cricket grow in the US. In 2017, Pichai announced a partnership between Google and the Global T20 Canada league, which brought top international cricket players to North America.
The investment of these tech CEOs in cricket reflects the growing interest in the sport in the US. With a large and diverse population, the US has the potential to become a significant market for cricket. The sport has already gained a foothold in cities like New York and Los Angeles, where local leagues and tournaments are thriving.
Cricket’s American dream is slowly becoming a reality, thanks to the support of tech CEOs like Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen. Their investment in the sport is not just a business decision, but a passion project that aims to bring the joy of cricket to a new audience in the US. As cricket continues to grow in popularity, we can expect to see more tech executives getting involved in the sport and helping to shape its future in America.