‘Panauti baba’ Abhay Singh publicly apologizes after India’s champions trophy win

Viral News: As India triumphed over Pakistan in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy match on Sunday, the country erupted in celebration. The intense cricket rivalry between the two nations took center stage as fans flooded social media to celebrate the victory, with Virat Kohli’s crucial century being a highlight in leading India to an easy win. However, amid the celebrations, one unexpected figure whose name started trending was Abhay Singh, the aerospace engineer-turned-sadhu, famously known as ‘IITian Baba.’

IITian Baba’s bold prediction backfires

Abhay Singh, who became a sensation during the Mahakumbh, had previously made headlines for his bold predictions. Appearing on a podcast, the former IIT-Mumbai graduate confidently stated that India would lose to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, claiming, "Iss bar India nahi jeetegi. Virat Kohli aur sabko bol do ki jeet ke dikha dein. Maine bola nahi jeetegi India toh nahi jeetegi." (India will not win this time. Tell Virat Kohli and Co. to try their best to win, but they won’t. If I say they won’t win, they won’t win.)

As India sailed to victory, the internet erupted in memes trolling the so-called ‘sadhu’ for his inaccurate prediction. Many users criticized content creators for continuing to invite him on podcasts, labeling him a fraud and mocking his previous claim.

Social Media reactions and Prafull Billore’s resignation

Among those joining in the online banter was Prafull Billore, the founder of the MBA Chai Wala Group, who shared a post resigning from his position as "panauti" (unlucky charm) for Team India. He humorously suggested that IITian Baba should now take over his role, adding to the viral mockery surrounding Singh’s prediction. The majority of posts on social media demanded that the viral ‘baba’ stay away from making future predictions, asking him to avoid the limelight after his failed prophecy.

IITian Baba’s public apology

Faced with a barrage of trolling and backlash, Abhay Singh took to X (formerly Twitter) to apologize for his failed prediction. He shared an image of Virat Kohli and the Indian team celebrating their victory, expressing regret over his earlier statement. In his post, Singh wrote, "I want to publicly apologize and ask each one of you all to celebrate, it's party time. Mujhe mann hi mann pata tha ki India jeetega. (I knew in my heart that India would win.)" His apology, however, did little to quell the online jokes, as the internet continued to enjoy the irony of his earlier statement.