New Delhi: MBA Chai Wala founder Prafull Billore has been trolling himself ahead of the India-South Africa T20 World Cup final by superimposing himself in pictures of the South African team on social media platform X.
The posts are his way to reverse-jinx the chances of South Africa, a trend he started after a viral selfie with cricketer Suryakumar Yadav. Billore, on 21 June this year, shared an in-flight selfie with India’s 360-degree batsman on X. The next day, Yadav scored 6 runs in India’s T20 match against Bangladesh though his performance has improved since.
As the photo garnered attention, the comments set the internet abuzz as Billore earned the unwanted title of ‘panauti (a person who brings bad luck)’ for an arguable dip in Suryakumar’s form and consistency. That’s when Billore started the reverse jinx trend.
Amid extensive trolling, Billore began resharing morphed mugshots that netizens had created to troll him alongside players from countries playing against India. He posted several such pictures of himself with English cricketers such as Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer in unusual poses, adding a humorous twist.
This is viral everywhere and everyone is sending me this 🥹 pic.twitter.com/dTZ87Eimvh
— Prafull Billore (@pbillore141) June 27, 2024
Netizens, meanwhile, started commenting in support of Billore’s reverse jinx trend, especially after the Indian cricket team secured a decisive victory over England in the semifinals, winning by 68 runs in Guyana Thursday. Billore had superimposed himself in a picture of the English cricket camp ahead of the game.
🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/7nmOkaBE2U
— Prafull Billore (@pbillore141) June 27, 2024
Netizens are now celebrating Prafull as a “freedom fighter”, humorously crediting his unique reverse jinx power for helping India overcome the semi-final hurdle. With India now set to face South Africa in the finals in Barbados Friday, the excitement continues to build.
On a streak with his reverse jinx powers, Prafull is now posting pictures with the South African players and team. Using the hashtag #Istandwithsouthafrica, he also shared a picture of himself in front of the South African flag, in a bid to extend the whimsical narrative.
Through this approach, Prafull has turned negative comments from his trolls into joyful apologies. An X user wrote, “Sorry for abusing earlier, keep at it bro, you’re a gem.” Others appreciated how he took it all sportingly, adding, “He has finally understood the assignment.” Some even voiced support for Billore receiving a national award. And, Billore continues to humour his fans.
I stand with South Africa 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/reo253DvKa
— Prafull Billore (@pbillore141) June 27, 2024
Recently, Billore posted, “Hate is the new Love”. He continues to share humorous posts, depicting himself as the captain of the South African squad and the highest-paid player in the IPL 2025 auction. Hopes are high that his streak will continue and bring an end to India’s ICC trophy drought.
Prafull started the popular tea stall, MBA Chaiwala, in 2016 while pursuing his MBA degree. With his unique marketing strategies and quirky content, he has also turned into a social media influencer, with over 3 lakh followers on X.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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