Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has revealed that he is personally building a cricket analysis app, blending his passion for the sport with cutting-edge artificial intelligence — a project he’s been working on during his free time. The revelation came during a tech event in Bengaluru, where he demonstrated how the tool works and shared insights into its capabilities.
⚙️ What the Cricket App Is All About
Nadella’s app — described as a Deep Research AI tool — uses artificial intelligence to analyse cricket matches, players, and strategic decisions. He built it over the Thanksgiving holiday, with the app generating detailed outputs such as debates, reasoning chains, and consensus views on which players should make an all-time Indian Test XI.
“It produced consensus areas, debates, reasoning chains, everything. It was fantastic,” Nadella said about his creation, joking that it made him want to “get a job on the Copilot team.”
🏏 A Personal Project With a Sporting Twist
Rather than a commercial venture, this cricket app appears to be a personal tech project driven by Nadella’s enthusiasm for both computing and cricket. The Microsoft CEO has a long-standing connection to the sport — not just as a fan, but also as an investor in professional teams such as the UK’s London Spirit and the Seattle Orcas in the United States.
At the Bengaluru event, Nadella walked the audience through how the app assessed player performances and tactical decisions — including a close contest between Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni for captaincy in the all-time XI exercise.
📍 Why It Matters
While the app isn’t an official Microsoft product yet, it highlights several notable trends:
- AI meets sports analytics: Nadella’s demo shows how generative AI can be used for nuanced analysis beyond text or images
- Personal leadership in tech: It reflects Nadella’s hands-on approach to experimenting with technology.
- Engagement with Indian audiences: The announcement came during a visit to India amid Microsoft’s significant investment push in the country’s AI and cloud ecosystem
🧠 Background: Nadella, AI, and Cricket
Satya Nadella, who grew up in India and credits cricket with shaping his leadership values, has often spoken about the sport’s cultural impact. He frequently plays with technology teams and has integrated cricket into Microsoft’s community — even including a cricket field in the company’s Redmond campus redevelopment. ETEnterpriseai.com
His new app project further blends that personal legacy with his professional expertise in AI, illustrating how technology can be used to deepen understanding and enjoyment of a beloved global sport.
