“Jinx power.”
Prafull Billore, the entrepreneurial mind behind MBA Chai Wala, has risen to fame as an unexpected social media sensation among Indian cricket fans. Starting with a modest tea stall, his knack for marketing has catapulted his business to success.
However, his fame took a surprising turn on 21st June after Prafull posted a selfie with Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav. The very next day, Yadav secured a low score in a T20 match against Banladesh with only 6 runs. This coincidence turned into a viral joke on social media, with users dubbing Prafull as a “Panauti” (jinx) and claiming that he brought bad luck to the cricket team.
Instead of shying away from the “jinx” label, Prafull embraced it at full speed as yet another marketing tactic. He began sharing humorous edits of himself posing with players from teams opposing India, giving the original trend a creative and unique twist. Before India’s matches with England, he posted several such edited images with cricketers like Jos Buttler, hoping that the “bad luck” meme would work in Team India’s favor.
“Hate is the new love,” he joked.
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As India geared up for the T20 finals with South Africa, Billore’s social media buzz picked up speed as well. He posted several edits of himself with South African players, using hashtags like #IstandwithSouthAfrica, and maintaining his playful and clever narrative.
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After India’s historic win against South Africa in the T20 finals, as the nation erupted into cheers and celebration, Prafull Billore took the time to celebrate the new “man of the match”: himself.
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Prafull’s reverse jinx trend worked brilliantly. Cricket fans who had trolled him as a “Panauti” shifted their perspective and celebrated his “jinx power”, appreciating his positivity, wit and good humor that entertained and motivated cricket fans. Some even joked that South Africa was on the lookout for him as he “played with South Africa’s emotions”, resulting in India’s victory.
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Prafull Billore’s social media following has skyrocketed since his emergence as a national “Panauti” sensation. It now stands at over 1.3 million followers, a testament to his creative marketing, good-humored approach to social media memes, and appreciation for cricket.
