MUMBAI, INDIA — A video of Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian National Cricket Team, test-driving a new Tesla Model Y has gone viral on social media. Even Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and X, responded directly to the video.
The video, which was first shared by an X user, rapidly went viral. Many people wondered when and how the cricket star’s apparent purchase would affect Tesla’s recent entry into the Indian market.
The Viral Time
In the video, Rohit Sharma gets into the driver’s seat of the sleek Tesla Model Y and carefully fastens his seatbelt before taking the electric car for a spin.
While sharing the video, an X profile wrote, “This is why Tesla doesn’t need to advertise—Rohit Sharma, the captain of India’s national cricket team and a follower of 45 million people on Instagram, just bought a new Tesla Model Y.”
Fans have been guessing about the car’s license plate number, “MH01FB3015,” which was shown in the video. Some people think the numbers are a secret way to honor his family. December 30 (30) could stand for the birth date of his daughter Samaira (born December 30, 2018), and November 15 (15) could stand for the birth date of his son Ahaan (born November 15, 2024).
Elon Musk’s Support
Elon Musk, the most famous person in the world right now, gave the largest endorsement. The CEO and co-founder of Tesla shared the video again with his huge following on X, providing the electric car company free and real worldwide exposure without having to write a single word.
The way Musk and the public reacted shows that a great product sells itself. People on social media talked about how popular the content was:
One person said, “Good products like Tesla don’t need to advertise; word of mouth can spread like wildfire.”
Another person said, “When you make a great product, it sells itself.” Tesla has one of the best rates of customer satisfaction and repeat business in the auto industry.
A third user said, “You can’t get better exposure than that!”
A fourth commenter pointed out how people’s behavior might change: “Wild move by Rohit!” You know the game is changing when a cricket legend picks Tesla. The Model Y is so elegant that it appears like it should be on a winning team. Is anyone else thinking about going electric now?
Tesla’s move into India
The ad comes at an important time for the American EV maker, which just opened its first store in India. Tesla has launched showrooms in two important places: the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai and Aerocity in New Delhi. This is the start of the company’s official activities in India. Rohit Sharma has a huge following on social media, and now he is unintentionally acting as a high-profile, unpaid brand ambassador for the company’s push into the huge Indian consumer market.