Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 9 : For many cricket fans who were inside the packed stands at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, March 8 was a night they'll never forget.
Among them was Malayalam actor and filmmaker Basil Joseph, who experienced the thrill of watching India lift the T20 World Cup trophy against New Zealand, not as a celebrity in the spotlight, but as a passionate cricket fan cheering from the crowd.
A video that is now doing the rounds on social media shows Joseph outside the stadium, surrounded by a group of young boys excitedly filming him while he cheers along with the crowd. The atmosphere feels less like a celebrity moment and more like any other fan's match-day excitement.
In the video, Joseph spots a roadside stall selling jerseys and decides to buy one with the name of his close friend, cricketer Sanju Samson, printed on the back. Holding it up proudly, he flashes the jersey at the camera, celebrating it as any die-hard supporter would. The excitement doesn't stop there; the video also shows the actor getting the Indian tricolour painted on his cheeks before heading into the stadium.
Take a look
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Later, the actor posted a set of pictures from inside the stadium, proudly wearing the Samson jersey while cheering for Team India during the high-stakes match.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Basil ⚡Joseph (@ibasiljoseph)
Joseph's support for Samson is hardly new. The two have been friends for several years, and the Minnal Murali director has often spoken publicly about his admiration for the cricketer. Whenever Samson has had a big moment on the field, Joseph has been quick to celebrate it online.
When Samson scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a must-win clash earlier, Joseph had shared his excitement on social media, quoting Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and writing: "Good things will happen to good people. The Sanju Samson story."
For Samson, the T20 World Cup journey turned out to be a dramatic one. After initially being left out of the playing XI, the wicketkeeper-batter eventually got his chance following a teammate's illness. While he struggled to find form in the early matches, Samson finally delivered when it mattered most, regaining his rhythm during a crucial game against Zimbabwe.
By the end of the tournament, the comeback story had come full circle. Samson walked away with the Player of the Tournament award.
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