The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Google have strengthened their long-standing collaboration by unveiling two major partnerships ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
Under the new agreement, Google Gemini has been named the Official AI Fan Companion, while Google Pixel will serve as the Official Smartphone of the global cricket event. The partnerships aim to deliver immersive, technology-driven experiences that bring fans closer to the action both inside and outside the stadiums.
According to the ICC, Google’s advanced artificial intelligence will play a central role in enhancing fan engagement throughout the tournament. Google Gemini will act as a creative companion, helping fans interpret key moments of the game, while Google Pixel’s advanced imaging technology will enable unique, high-quality experiences from within match venues.
ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta welcomed the collaboration, stating that the partnership unites two global organisations driven by innovation and consumer focus. He noted that Google’s expertise in AI, search, and discovery aligns with the ICC’s ambition to deliver meaningful “phygital” fan experiences across platforms.
Google India’s Vice President of Marketing Shekar Khosla highlighted the success of AI-powered fan engagement during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and expressed excitement about expanding those innovations for the men’s event.
As part of the partnership, fans can participate in the Google Gemini ‘Craziest Fan Kaun’ contest, using AI-powered image generation to create and share personalised “Crazy Fan” avatars. Selected winners will receive exclusive stadium experiences, attending T20 World Cup matches wearing their custom AI-designed looks.
The initiative is expected to redefine digital fan engagement at one of cricket’s biggest tournaments.