Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, an avid cricket fan, revealed during the keynote address at the Microsoft Ignite 2023 developer conference in Seattle that he stayed up all night to watch the nail-biting World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand. Nadella mentioned the scheduling conflict, acknowledging that they didn’t anticipate the cricket match when planning the conference. He humorously noted that he had been up all night, but he was glad the match concluded just five minutes before his appearance on stage.
Several social media users speculated whether Nadella’s keynote address might have started a bit late due to his engagement with the World Cup semi-finals. Known for his passion for cricket, Nadella has previously emphasized the impact the sport had on his leadership and teamwork skills, acquired during his school days playing competitively.
Having grown up in India, cricket holds a special place in Nadella’s heart, and he has shared how the sport shaped his understanding of collaboration and leadership. Earlier in the year, Nadella joined forces with the Delhi Capitals IPL team, which also owns the Seattle franchise in the newly established Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA. As a lead investor in the team called the Seattle Orcas, Nadella has demonstrated his commitment to promoting cricket in the United States.
It’s worth noting that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, another prominent Indian-American business leader, shares Nadella’s love for cricket. Pichai has confessed to watching cricket highlights on YouTube and frequently incorporates cricket references into his interviews, showcasing the enduring popularity and influence of the sport among tech leaders from the Indian subcontinent.
