ICC, Google join forces for new partnership at T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Google have continued their strong relationship by announcing a pair of new partnerships for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The ICC and Google have joined forces to name Google Gemini as the Official AI Fan Companion and Google Pixel as the Official Smartphone for the upcoming mega event that commences in India and Sri Lanka on February 7.

The partnership will provide exciting new experiences for fans at the T20 World Cup powered by Google’s advanced AI, with Google Gemini to act as a creative partner for fans to interpret the game and Google Pixel providing high-quality and unique experiences from inside the stadiums.

ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta praised the new partnership between ICC and Google.

"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," he said.

"Together, we will use technology to deepen engagement, enhance experiences and make cricket more accessible and meaningful for fans worldwide.”

VP Marketing at Google India's VP Marketing Shekar Khosla added: "We were thrilled to witness firsthand during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 how AI can enhance and delight the fan experience.

"Now, as we strengthen our partnership with the ICC for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, we are bringing together Gemini’s generative capabilities and Pixel’s advanced imaging to deliver features that empower fans with new avenues for creativity and celebration. We are excited to see how these innovations help a new generation of digital-first fans celebrate the spirit of cricket.”

Cricket lovers will be able to access the partnership via the Google Gemini 'Craziest Fan Kaun' contest, which will allow fans to use Google Gemini’s image generation capabilities - powered by Nano Banana - to create and share unique ‘Crazy Fan’ avatars.

Selected winners will be in the running to receive an exclusive stadium experience, attending an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match in person while wearing the custom AI-designed looks they created.