Zohran Mamdani has elite ball knowledge, and cricket fans, especially those from Sri Lanka, are mightily impressed. Mamdani, the son of popular filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani, became the first Muslim of Indian origin to be elected mayor of New York City last year. The 34-year-old’s quirky, humorous, relatable, and articulate appearances on TikTok and Instagram reels are why he is popular among millennials and GenZs and continues to routinely grab attention despite the doomscrolling epidemic on the rectangular slab.
Recently, however, Mamdani was informally inducted into the cricket community after the New York mayor casually name-dropped spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan during a street-side interview, leaving everyone stumped.
Mamdani appeared in a lighthearted interview conducted by the New York-based Sri Lankan comedian Shenuque. The duo appeared in good spirits when the Sri Lankan comedian, Shenuque, posed a question to the mayor, while hilariously reprimanding him for making the lives of brown kids miserable by winning the New York City elections at 34.
“First off, how dare you become mayor at thirty-four? Now every brown parent is gonna compare us to you," Shenuque quipped as Mamdani giggled.
The comedian then shared a question from his mother, one that perhaps many South Asian parents around the world would want to ask the mayor. “My mom wants to know how can I be a good Sri Lankan boy… ask Zohran how I can be a good Sri Lankan boy."
Mamdani responded by saying, “First of all, hello aunty. Second of all, you know the phrase ‘Never let them know your next move’? I would argue that has Sri Lankan roots."
He then brought up one of the most celebrated and successful spinners of all time, Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, in the chat.
Murali has the streets (and New York)! pic.twitter.com/RRdYFgn3uZ — The GrandStand Podcast🎙️🇱🇰 (@GrandStandPod) February 18, 2026
“Because Muttiah Muralitharan, famous spin bowler from Sri Lanka, had a doosra… means you think it’s going one way, it’s going the other," the New York mayor delivered his analogy with a cricket spin.
Mamdani gave a shoutout to the Sri Lankan community, stating that one of the key lessons he learned from them was the importance of being prepared and keeping one’s next move a secret.
Those who stumbled upon Mamdani randomly dropping the Sri Lankan veteran in a candid chat were in for a treat.
“Mayor of New York regularly dropping Arsenal and Murali references. You just love to see it," a user on X wrote.
“MAKE HIM HEAD OF THE ICC NOW," chipped a third.
“First Jude Bellingham and now this, incredible week for the “loves his cricket" community."
Murali, the off-spin wizard, hailed globally for perfecting the deceptive delivery doosra, remained a key figure in cricket for more than two decades. Muralitharan scalped a staggering 800 Test wickets in 133 matches while picking 534 ODI wickets in 350 matches and remains the highest wicket-taker in cricket’s history to date.
While Murali gave a new meaning to doosra by perfecting the art of an off-spinner’s “googly," it was Pakistan great Saqlain Mushtaq who is considered the pioneer of the special ball, bringing global attention to the variation in the 1990s.
The Sri Lankan veteran credited Mushtaq for teaching him how to deliver the doosra, a learning that paid remarkable dividends in his career. Murali has spoken highly of Mushtaq in public, revealing that the enigma around Mushtaq left players in the 1990s mesmerised.
“I saw Saqlain Mustaq in 95 [1995] in Pakistan; he mesmerised players. People fall down, they were playing for off-spin, and the ball is going other way and it is something ‘doosra’ he bowled (sic)," Muralitharan, appearing on The Ranveer Show hosted by Ranveer Allahbadia, said.
Murali, by his own admission, took three years to deliver his first doosra in the international circuit.
“Then I sat with him [Mushtaq] after the season. He was younger than me, he was explaining. I took three years to bowl doosra," he added.
Loading comments…