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Cricket PlayersSanju Samson's return to the XI was ‘a masterstroke’: ‘If there’s a Mallu involved in a World Cup we never lose’
Varun Chakaravarthy highlighted Sanju Samson's impact on India's 2026 T20 World Cup success during the BCCI awards.
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India’s triumphant 2026 T20 World Cup campaign has already thrown up its share of defining moments, but at the BCCI awards night, Varun Chakaravarthy shared one of the most memorable lines of the celebrations. The mystery spinner, reflecting on the title run, turned to a popular internet joke to explain Sanju Samson’s impact on the side.
“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,” Chakaravarthy said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
It instantly stood out because it combined humour, fandom, and cricketing truth in a single breath. India’s campaign did not begin as a smooth procession, and Samson himself was not central to the side from the start. But once he returned to the XI, the shape of India’s tournament changed. In the knockout phase, India’s batting found greater fluence, greater assurance and, crucially, the kind of momentum that turns a good side into a champion one.
“If someone had asked me where we would be in next 5 years, you wouldn’t imagine this,” he said. “Now I’d like to win more World Cups. Way things are, next 3-4 years cycle, we should dominate.”
The spinner also linked that confidence to the strength of India’s cricket system. “It just shows the amount of talent we are producing, and credit to BCCI’s domestic structure. And Syed Mushtaq Ali,” Varun Chakaravarthy said.
For Chakarvarthy, the title had a personal edge too. After falling out of the side and then forcing his way back into the World Cup setup, he described the turnaround in emotional terms. “Last year, we had won. The hangover of that World Cup was still there. But winning back-to-back World Cups was exceptional. For me, it was a miracle. It wasn’t the team, but was called up and played the next day, and won the World Cup,” he said.
Mohammed Siraj, too, pointed to Samson’s role in shifting India’s campaign. “West Indies was crucial because we had lost to South Africa with a big margin. Sanju came into the team, and he found himself suddenly in Knockout matches. But it was a script written for God’s favourite child,” Siraj said.
Together, the two reactions painted a clear picture of how Sanju Samson’s return was viewed inside the Indian camp. The statements from Siraj and Chakaravarthy made the point that India’s campaign changed course when Samson came back into the XI.
