Mammootty, Mohanlal, Dulquer, Prithviraj, Basil, Nivin and others celebrate Sanju Samson’s heroic T20 World Cup knock

When Sanju Samson walked off the Eden Gardens pitch having single-handedly steered India into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026, it was not just normal cricket fans who were on their feet. The Malayalam film industry, which has long claimed the Kerala-born wicketkeeper-batter as one of its own, erupted in celebration, and some of its biggest names wasted no time making their feelings known. India's must-win clash against West Indies on Sunday ended in a five-wicket victory, with Sanju's breathtaking knock of 97 not out off just 50 balls doing the heavy lifting.

Among the first to react were Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal. Mammootty took to social media to hail Sanju’s effort, writing, “What a knock, @IamSanjuSamson. Pure class. Pure dominance. A fearless statement on the biggest stage. Congratulations to the Indian cricket team for marching into the #T20WorldCup2026 Semi Final.” Mohanlal described the innings as “exhilarating” to watch. “A truly masterful innings that speaks volumes of his character and talent,” he wrote, congratulating the entire Indian side for “storming into the semi-finals” and urging them to keep the flag flying high.

Prithviraj Sukumaran did not hold back either, declaring it "one of the greatest T20 innings ever, that too in a virtual quarter-final on the World Cup stage." Basil Joseph simply called it "a statement of an innings" and saluted Sanju's refusal to give up. Dulquer Salmaan, Tovino Thomas, Nivin Pauly and Indrajith Sukumaran were among the others adding their voices to the chorus of appreciation from the industry.

The admiration extended well beyond Kerala. Veteran actor Prakash Raj joined in the congratulations, while Tamil director CS Amudhan summed up the sentiment rather neatly, dubbing the knock "The Kerala Story,” a title that on this occasion had nothing but affection behind it.