Cricket fans rejoice: the Cricket World Cup is here again! Can the all-round prowess of the South Africans put aside the “chokers” tag? Or will the Lankan lions roar again after almost two decades? Indian fans will keenly follow the team’s attempts to bring the cup back home, starting with their first match against archrivals Pakistan, while red-hot Australia and New Zealand will be keen to exploit home turf advantage.
We know how exciting the next few weeks are for you, and we have a bunch of fun experiences lined up. To stay updated, join the party with the largest community of cricket fans from around the world, by following Google India on Google+ and Twitter.
Scores faster than Lee or Akhtar
Over the next two months and 49 matches, a simple Google search for [cricket] will be your quickest source for the latest scores and team schedules. We have partnered with Star Sports, and fans in India will be able to see pre-game videos, in-game highlights, and post-match recaps for the match’s most exciting moments, right from within the search results. These features will also trigger in Hindi if you search for [क्रिकेट]. Rest assured that you’ll stay tuned to the action anytime, anywhere.
You can also stay updated on your favourite teams in the Google App with Now cards — you don’t even have to search. Download the ESPN Cricinfo app onto your phone, and you’ll start seeing Cricinfo’s Now cards pop up in the Google app.
Take the tournament’s pulse with Google Trends
Millions of fans will be searching on Google for noteworthy moments of the tournament, from the Duckworth-Lewis method to Virat Kohli’s hairstyle. Get into the conversation about what other cricket fans are buzzing about with Google Trends on +Google India throughout the tournament.
Real fans paint their face
Even if you can’t watch the games live, you can still show your support by painting your face like a true cricket fan— without ever getting your hands dirty. Take a photo of yourself and of up to four friends who’d like their faces painted and upload it to Google+ with hashtag #PaintIndia (see details at g.co/CricketFacePaint). Refresh the page to see the effect!
You can add the hashtag #CWC15Fans and publicly share your photo on Google+ for a chance to be shown on ICC’s official website. If you also add the hashtag #CastrolCheerForTheCup to a publicly shared photo on Google+, it might land on the big screen during the actual games.
And last but not the least, keep an eye out for special Doodles during the tournament on the Google India homepage, as well as Hangouts on Air with cricketers and commentators. We will post about these Hangouts on +Google India over the coming weeks, and many of them will also be simulcasted on 94.3 Radio One.
Have a blast following great cricket, and may the best team win!
Posted by Varun Sud, Product Marketing Manager, Google India
