In an exciting match between the Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals during the second match of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2024, Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen stole the spotlight with not just her wicket-taking skills but also her unique celebration.
On dismissing Barbados Royals batter Aaliyah Alleyne, Jonassen surprised fans and fellow players alike by breaking into a Shahrukh Khan-inspired celebration.
Jess Jonassen celebrates in ‘SRK’ style 😉 #CricketTwitter #WCPL2024 pic.twitter.com/5cPLyMob5f
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 23, 2024
Jess Jonassen takes a wicket and celebrates with an SRK pose 😀 #CricketTwitter #WCPL24 pic.twitter.com/BligLZEnUP
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 23, 2024
This moment quickly became a talking point of the match and rapidly went viral on all social media platforms. Jess’ celebration, which was inspired by the Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan, this performance and subsequent celebration not only contributed to her team’s efforts but also added an unexpected and memorable moment to the tournament’s early stages.
Barbados Royals captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and chose to field first. In the first innings, the Knight Riders batters were unable to put up a big total on the scoreboard and managed to score only 113/9 in 20 overs. In the second innings, Jess Jonassen gave the Knight Riders an early breakthrough by dismissing Chamari Athapaththu LBW for just 5 runs. However, the Royals’ skipper Matthews played an incredible knock of 67 runs off 56 balls to help her team make a comeback.
Jonassen came into the attack again in the 15th over and picked up the wicket of Aaliyah Alleyne for 11 runs off the third ball. That’s when Jonassen performed the signature celebration of Shahrukh Khan, surprising her team members and fans. In the end, the Royals chased down the target of 114 runs easily in just 17.1 overs, registering their second consecutive victory of the tournament with 7 wickets in hand. However, Jess’ celebration became one of the highlights of the match that fans will remember for long.