Shubman Gill intentionally edited Sanju out of T20 WC victory photo?

The celebrations following India’s emphatic T20 World Cup triumph over New Zealand continue to dominate social media, with fans widely sharing images and videos from the historic victory. India secured their third T20 World Cup title with a commanding 96-run win, and one of the standout performers of the tournament was Kerala’s Sanju Samson.

Samson played a pivotal role in India’s campaign, delivering three consecutive half-centuries during the crucial stages of the tournament. The wicketkeeper-batter scored an unbeaten 97 against West Indies in the Super Eight stage, followed by scores of 89 in the semi-final against England and another 89 in the final against New Zealand. His consistent performances earned him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award, triggering widespread celebrations among fans, particularly in Kerala.

However, the celebrations took an unexpected turn after India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill posted a photograph of the Indian team celebrating the World Cup victory on social media. Within hours, the post drew criticism from sections of fans who alleged that Gill had edited the image to remove Samson.

The controversy quickly gained traction online, with many users comparing Gill’s post with images shared by other players, including Suryakumar Yadav. Critics also pointed to the earlier selection controversies involving Gill and Samson. Gill had previously been named as Samson’s replacement in the Asia Cup squad, a move that had sparked debate among fans, especially after Gill struggled to deliver strong performances in the T20 format.

Some supporters of the Kerala batter accused Gill of deliberately sharing a photo that did not include Samson, suggesting it reflected lingering rivalry between the two players.

However, fact-checking has indicated that the image posted by Gill was one among several photographs taken during the team’s trophy celebration. The same photo was also shared by Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Other images posted by players show variations in poses, the position of the trophy and different players holding it, indicating that multiple photographs were taken at the moment.

Despite this clarification, the online debate among fans continues. Sanju’s fans claimed that Gill chose to post a photo that does not feature the Kerala batter.