ICC partners with Google for Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Google have announced a partnership for an AI-powered ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Google Gemini has become the Official AI Fan Companion, and Google Pixel is the Official Smartphone. 

The World Cup will be held from 7 February to 8 March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. 

Earlier in January 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secured a Rs 270 crore sponsorship deal with Google’s artificial intelligence platform Gemini ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).

The rollout begins with a Gemini-led interactive contest titled “Craziest Fan Kaun,” which invites fans to use Gemini’s image generation, powered by Nano Banana, to create and share ‘Crazy Fan’ avatars. Selected winners will get an in-stadium experience at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match while wearing the custom AI-designed looks they created.

Google and the ICC announced that more features will be integrated directly into the fan journey, including a dedicated “Explore Cricket” tab within the Gemini app, with World Cup-specific intent chips on the home screen, and new content refreshed weekly. The tools will include simplified explanations of rules, such as the DLS system, quizzes, and interactive formats, including the “Guess the Player” and “Design a new cricket format” challenges.

Another feature, Insight Cards by Gemini, will generate shareable player and personality snapshots by synthesising information available on the web, highlighting trivia and career milestones designed for quick social sharing, the ICC said.

As the Official Smartphone, Google Pixel will be used to capture “never-before-seen perspectives” from within the stadium. The ICC said Pixel’s advanced camera, including a 48MP 5x telephoto lens and video capabilities, will power match views shared inside venues and across social platforms.

The ICC described the announced tools as the initial phase of the partnership, adding that more AI-driven experiences will be introduced as the rollout progresses through the tournament build-up.

ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said, "This partnership brings together two global organisations united by consumer focus, scale, purpose and innovation. Google’s leadership in connection, search & discovery, and AI aligns strongly with the ICC’s ambition to serve fans better, delivering phygital experiences across touchpoints. Together, we will use technology to deepen engagement, enhance experiences and make cricket more accessible and meaningful for fans worldwide.”

Shekar Khosla, VP Marketing at Google India, said the company had seen during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 how AI can “enhance and delight” the fan experience, and will now bring together Gemini’s generative capabilities and Pixel’s imaging to “empower fans with new avenues for creativity and celebration.”