Sports
Who is Prafull Billore? The Man Behind Viral ‘Panauti’ Memes in T20 World Cup
Who is Prafull Billore? The Man Behind Viral ‘Panauti’ Memes in T20 World Cup
If you’re a frequent social media user, you’ve seen a familiar Indian face plastered over the South African cricket team players. Yes, memes called ‘Panauti’ (bad luck) are circulating like wildfire as India prepares for the IND vs. SA T20 World Cup final tonight. But who is that face, and why are so many Indians sharing it? Have you seen him before?
Who is he?
Prafull Billore, the creator of MBA Chaiwala, created the meme. Billore is an Indian entrepreneur who rose to prominence for his innovative tea-selling business, which has amassed a large social media following. Billore, originally from Madhya Pradesh, dropped out of an MBA degree in 2017 to start a tea kiosk with only Rs. 8,000. His venture immediately gained momentum, eventually becoming a nationwide chain and a social media success.
But What Does He Have to Do With Cricket?
After a photo featuring cricket player Suryakumar Yadav went viral, the ‘Panauti’ fad took off. Billore and India’s 360-degree batsman posted an in-flight selfie on X (formerly Twitter) on June 21st of this year. Yadav played in India’s Twenty20 match against Bangladesh the very following day, and he only managed six runs. This set off some joking talk about Billore’s “panauti” impact.
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The latest trend
Billore has adopted a reverse jinx pattern at this point. He began resharing altered mugshots made by users amid widespread taunting, matching himself with players from teams that were playing against India. In an attempt to utilize his “jinx” influence against England, he tweeted a number of these images ahead of the semi-final between India and England, including English players Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer in comical stances.
