An old press conference clip of India captain Suryakumar Yadav has gone viral after Sanju Samson played a match-winning knock in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
The video shows Suryakumar laughing off a journalist’s suggestion to include Samson in the playing XI. Responding sarcastically, he had asked, “Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau? Matlab Tilak ki jagah khilau?” — implying there was no room for the Kerala batter in the side at that point.
However, after India’s heavy defeat to South Africa national cricket team, the team management brought Samson back into the XI against Zimbabwe national cricket team. The move paid off handsomely when Samson smashed an unbeaten 97 against West Indies cricket team, guiding India into the semi-finals.
Social media users were quick to react, with many calling Samson’s performance the “perfect reply.” One user wrote, “That’s a great reply by Sanju Samson to Surya,” while others criticised the skipper for appearing dismissive during the earlier media interaction.
In the same press conference, Suryakumar had defended the team’s approach, saying expectations to score 220-250 runs every game were unrealistic given varying pitch conditions.
With Samson’s resurgence proving crucial, the debate over team selection and leadership decisions has once again taken centre stage.