Australian bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen stole the show in the thrilling second game of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2024 between the Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals thanks to her inventive celebration as well as her ability to take wickets.
Surprising both spectators and fellow players, Jonassen broke into a Shahrukh Khan-inspired celebration after hitting Barbados Royals hitter Aaliyah Alleyne.
This incident turned into a major conversation point during the game and spread swiftly over social media. Inspired by Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan, Jess’ celebration brought an unexpected and unforgettable moment to the tournament’s early stages. Her team’s efforts were also aided by her performance and the celebration that followed.
After winning the toss, captain Hayley Matthews of the Barbados Royals decided to field first. The Knight Riders’ batters were only able to score 113/9 in 20 overs during the first inning, failing to put up a significant total on the scoreboard. The Knight Riders made an early breakthrough in the second innings when Jess Jonassen got Chamari Athapaththu LBW for just 5 runs. To help her team rally, though, Royals captain Matthews scored an amazing 67 runs off of 56 balls.
In the fifteenth over, Jonassen returned to the attack and removed Aaliyah Alleyne for 11 runs off the third ball. At that moment, Jonassen surprised her teammates and supporters by performing the Shahrukh Khan characteristic celebration. Ultimately, with seven wickets remaining, the Royals comfortably reached their second consecutive tournament victory, reaching the target of 114 runs in just 17.1 overs. Still, viewers will remember Jess’ celebration as one of the game’s highlights for a very long time.
