T20 World Cup 2026: Mammootty, Mohanlal and other film stars greet Sanju Samson after his match-winning defeat against West Indies

Sanju Samson’s scintillating 97 not out off just 50 balls against West Indies at Eden Gardens has not only propelled India to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup but also unleashed a wave of celebrations across the country, especially in his home state of Kerala. Leading the chorus of praise were Malayalam cinema’s biggest superstars, including Mammootty, Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, who took to social media to salute the cricketer. “fearless statement on the biggest stage.”

Mammootty leads the celebrity praise for Sanju Samson

Megastar Mammootty was among the first to react to Samson’s heroic punch and took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his admiration. “What a blow, @IamSanjuSamson. Pure class. Pure dominance. A fearless statement on the biggest stage. Congratulations to the Indian cricket team for competing in the #T20WorldCup2026 semi-final,” Mammootty wrote and summed up the feeling of millions of fans who witnessed the match.

The post quickly went viral, with fans agreeing that Samson’s fearless approach against a formidable West Indies bowling attack illustrated exactly the kind of dominance required in a high-pressure World Cup match.

Mohanlal hails Samson’s “masterful innings” as India storm into the semi-finals

Mohanlal, another legendary figure in Malayalam cinema, was equally effusive in his praise. “Exciting to see @IamSanjuSamson in such sublime form! A truly masterful innings that speaks volumes about his character and talent. Hearty congratulations to the entire Indian team for storming into the #T20WorldCup2026 semi-finals. Keep the flag flying high!” the actor posted, sharing a photo of Samson looking up at the sky after claiming victory.

Exciting to watch @IamSanjuSamson in such sublime shape! A truly masterful collection that speaks volumes about his character and talent. Heartfelt congratulations to the entire Indian team for storming the #T20World Cup 2026 Semi-finals. Keep the flag high! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/jLMYCQSOWc

— Mohanlal (@Mohanlal) March 1, 2026

The message resonated deeply with cricket fans in Kerala, who have long advocated Samson’s inclusion in the national team and watched with pride as their homegrown talent manifested itself on the grandest stage.

“One of the best T20 innings ever”: Prithviraj’s shoutout

Actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his Instagram Story to give Samson a special shoutout, describing the blow in remarkable terms. “One of the best T20 innings ever! That too in a virtual quarter-final on the World Cup stage!” he captioned his post.

Prithviraj’s assessment was echoed by cricket analysts around the world, who noted that Samson’s ability to remain unbeaten while leading a record chase of 196 – India’s highest successful T20 World Cup chase – elevated the innings to legendary status.

‘The Kerala Story’: CS Amudhan’s witty tribute

Tamil director CS Amudhan, known for the ‘Tamizh Padam’ film series, added a touch of humor to the celebrations and coined a phrase that quickly gained popularity online. “THE KERALA STORY: Sanju Samson takes India to semi-finals,” Amudhan posted and cleverly used the title of a controversial film to celebrate Samson’s match-winning exploits.

The witty remark captured the essence of the moment: a Kerala cricketer single-handedly steering India to semi-final qualification in front of a packed house at Eden Gardens.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026 – Suryakumar Yadav takes heartwarming bow to Sanju Samson after India reaches semi-final; video goes viral

Mollywood unites to celebrate Sanju Samson’s record-breaking knock

The outpouring of praise stretched across the celebrity spectrum in Mollywood. Nivin Pauly wrote: “India to the SEMIS! What a sensational knock from @imsanjusamson! Take a bow, champion!” Dulquer Salmaan shared a photo of Samson with clapping and heart-eyes emojis, while Tovino Thomas simply posted: “What an innings!!”

Kalidas Jayaram expressed his pride through writing “Proud of you Macha” while director Basil Joseph appreciated Samson’s never-give-up attitude and called it a “declaration of a collection.” Veteran actor Prakash Raj offered a heartfelt speech “Thank you @IamSanjuSamson.”

Samson’s 97* against West Indies guided India to their most successful T20I chase in World Cup history at Eden Gardens on Sunday. The innings surpassed Virat Kohli’s 82 to become the second highest individual score for India in the T20 World Cups.

Remarkably, this was the first instance in 29 run chases across T20Is and IPL, with Samson remaining unbeaten till the end of the innings as he opened the batting.

With India set to take on England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5, Samson’s form has given the defending champions new hope of retaining their title.

Also READ: Gautam Gambhir makes a bold statement after India beat West Indies to reach semi-finals of 2026 T20 World Cup