Elon Musk had intended to turn X into the world’s town square, and it’s already seeing personalities from different worlds and subcultures interacting in completely unexpected says.
Elon Musk has commented on Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah asking people to Google his world record for the most runs scored in a Test over. In a press conference during the Brisbane test on India’s tour of Australia, Jasprit Bumrah was asked to comment on his own batting performance during an Indian top-order collapse. “Yes it’s an interesting question that you’re questioning my batting ability,” Bumrah told reporters as giggles broke out in the room. “Think you should use Google as well and see who’s got the most runs in a single Test over,” he added to even more laughter.
Bumrah was referring to the unlikely record he holds of smashing the most runs off a single over in Test cricket. In 2022, with India 9 wickets down, Bumrah had hit England’s Stuart Broad for 35 runs, creating a record for the most runs scored in a Test over.
But Bumrah’s reference to Google caught the attention of none other than Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who’s a self-confessed die-hard cricket fan. “I did Google it:) Anyone who can hook Cummins for a six knows how to bat! Well done @Jaspritbumrah93 saving the follow on with (Akash) Deep!” Pichai posted on X.
But there was an unlikely spectator to the whole exchange. Elon Musk then got into the action, and replied to Pichai’s post saying “Nice”. Sundar Pichai replied immediately, and told Musk “Gotta watch a South Africa-India game one day at Newlands or Wanderers :)”.
Now it’s not everyday you see the richest man in the world banter with the CEO of one of the world’s most valuable companies on something an Indian cricketer has said, but X has brought about some of the world’s most prominent people on a single platform. Also, it helps that Pichai and Musk had had an X exchange just last week on Google’s quantum computing breakthrough, and it was likely this interaction that caused Pichai’s post to show up on Musk’s timeline. Also, Musk is from South Africa, so presumably knows a bit about cricket. And if he does accept Pichai’s invitation, an upcoming India tour of South Africa might end up having some serious tech luminaries in the stands.