India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph over New Zealand didn’t just create history on the field. It also sparked a viral moment off it.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy grabbed attention on social media after posting a photo of himself sipping tea alongside the World Cup trophy. The picture quickly spread across the internet, with fans interpreting it as a cheeky dig at Pakistan and one of the most famous cricket memes in recent years.
A post that instantly went viral
Shortly after India sealed a 96-run win over New Zealand in the final, Chakravarthy shared the now-viral image.
In the picture, the mystery spinner is seen relaxing with a cup of tea while posing with the T20 World Cup trophy.
VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY WITH T20 WORLD CUP & A TEA CUP AS WELL. 🥶😀 pic.twitter.com/TuhydwMAAv
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) March 9, 2026
The timing of the post made it instantly meme-worthy. Fans quickly connected it to the famous line “The tea is fantastic,” which has long been used as a playful meme across social media.
Within hours, the post was widely shared, with supporters flooding the comments with laughing emojis and witty reactions.
Chakravarthy’s strong tournament performance
The viral moment came after an impressive tournament from the Indian spinner. Chakravarthy finished as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Both Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah picked up 14 wickets each, playing crucial roles in India’s successful campaign.
India’s performance in the final was particularly dominant. Batting first, the team piled up a massive 255 runs, setting New Zealand a daunting target of 256.
In response, the Black Caps struggled to keep up with the required run rate and were eventually bowled out for 159. The result gave India a comfortable 96-run victory and their third T20 World Cup title.
Not the first time Varun used the ‘Tea’ meme
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Chakravarthy has used a tea-themed post to create buzz online. After India won the Asia Cup earlier, he had shared another humorous image involving a cup of tea.
That post came after Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not hand over the trophy to the Indian team during the presentation ceremony.
The following day, Chakravarthy shared a photo of himself relaxing with a cup of tea, which quickly became a talking point.
Later, the spinner revealed that he had originally planned something even bigger. “I had everything planned. I knew we were going to win,” Chakravarthy had said.
“I thought I would post a picture of myself sleeping with the trophy. But after the match, I had nothing – just a cup of coffee. So that’s what I had.”
Meme behind the ‘Tea’ reference
The tea reference carries a deeper backstory that many fans immediately recognized. The phrase “The tea is fantastic” became popular in 2019 after Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan following an aerial confrontation.
In a video released by Pakistan at the time, Abhinandan was seen calmly sipping tea while in custody.
During the clip, he remarked that the tea was “fantastic.” The line quickly turned into a viral meme across social media in both India and Pakistan.
Since then, the tea reference has often been used humorously in cricket banter between fans of the two countries.
A Trophy, a cup of tea and a viral moment
For Varun Chakravarthy, the post was likely meant as a light-hearted joke but in the world of cricket rivalries and social media memes, even a simple cup of tea can create a storm online.
With India celebrating a historic third T20 World Cup title, the viral photo has become another memorable moment from a tournament already filled with them.
