Google, the world’s largest search engine, found itself at the centre of controversy after a seemingly innocent Champions Trophy match result triggered a storm.

A post celebrating India’s win against Bangladesh, captioned “Aaj neend acchi aayegi 💙” (Tonight, sleep will be peaceful), left many wondering—has Google dropped its neutrality?

When search turns to support

The tech giant, which is led by Indian-born CEO Sundar Pichai, has long been accused of favouring Indian interest. The optics are certainly hard to ignore.

Google’s official page posting an India-supporting meme felt less like a global tech platform and more like a cricket fan account.

This isn’t just about cricket; the dilemma runs deeper. Should a company that dominates global information flow show allegiance—however subtle—to one nation?

Google has long been accused to having an ‘Indian bias.’ A recent analysis by the Asia Times found that search results about the arrest of Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das disproportionately featured Indian media outlets, including ultranationalist sources, while credible Bangladeshi outlets were buried in later pages.

Google’s search engine, which processes millions of queries per second, has been criticized for algorithmic bias, particularly in its handling of sensitive regional conflicts.

This bias, amplified by Indian news organizations’ use of English and advanced SEO techniques, has contributed to a misinformation campaign exaggerating religious violence in Bangladesh.

Amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, the search engine’s algorithm appears to favor content that aligns with Indian nationalist perspectives, potentially distorting public perception.

Bias or blunder?

If Google can casually celebrate India’s sporting victories, does it mean other nations don’t get the same treatment?

Will an Afghanistan or Pakistan win be met with similar enthusiasm?

For a company that prides itself on neutrality, this slip-up is a PR nightmare. If Google wants to continue being the world’s search engine, it might need to step back from looking like a cricket fanboy.