Team India's Varun Chakravarthy and Mohammad Siraj lauded Sanju Samson's crucial role in the T20 World Cup victory. Chakravarthy cited a viral meme about Samson's lucky charm status, while Siraj called him "God's favourite child" for his game-changing knockout stage performances, where he finished as India's top run-scorer.
Team India mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy lauded Sanju Samson’s impact on Team India in the T20 World Cup title defence success. The Men in Blue successfully defended the T20 World Cup crown with a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Samson was one of the key players in Team India’s T20 World Cup triumph, as he played a brilliant knock of 89 off 46 balls to help the hosts propel to a commanding total of 255/5, which was successfully defended by Indian bowlers, bundling out the Kiwis for 159 in 19 overs to clinch the coveted trophy.
The Kerala cricketer was impactful in the knockout stages of the tournament, including 97* in a must-win Super 8 match against the West Indies, 89 in a semifinal against England, and 89 in the final against New Zealand, cementing his role as a match-winner.
Chakravarthy Hails Samson’s Impact
Sanju Samson and Varun Chakravarthy were in attendance at the BCCI Naman Awards, where they were felicitated by the board alongside India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad. Speaking on the sidelines of the award ceremony, Chakravarthy referred to a viral meme that perfectly captured Samson’s influence.
“There’s a meme that’s gotten popular. It says, “If there’s a Mallu involved in a World Cup, we never lose.’ It’s true. The masterstroke was getting him back into the XI,” Chakravarthy said.
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Sanju Samson was initially not considered for India’s playing XI as the Team India management backed Ishan Kishan to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek Sharma’s stomach infection paved the way for the Kerala cricketer’s World Cup debut against Namibia, where he scored 22 off 8 balls.
Thereafter, Samson featured in a Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe, where he again provided an explosive start and scored 24 off 15 balls. These two brief but impactful knocks were enough for Team India management to back Sanju Samson for the crucial knockout stages of the tournament.
‘God’s Favourite Child’
Mohammad Siraj also praised Sanju Samson’s impact in Team India, which eventually turned the tide in India’s favour during the knockout stages, including a crucial must-win match against the West Indies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BCCI Naman Awards. Siraj described Samson’s return as a game-changing moment, saying his performances in the knockouts were nothing short of miraculous for Team India.
“The West Indies were crucial because we had lost to South Africa with a big margin. Sanju came into the team, and he found himself suddenly in the Knockout matches. But it was a script written for God’s favourite child,” Siraj said.
Sanju Samson finished the T20 World Cup 2026 as the highest run-getter for Team India, amassing 321 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 80.25 and an impressive strike rate of 199.37. He overtook Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
Sanju Samson will return to action for the IPL 2026, where he will represent Chennai Super Kings after being traded from the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the mini-auction last year.
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