‘Mind game khela ja raha hai’ – Fans react as Ajay Jadeja’s dance moves lighten mood amid Marnus Labuschagne complains of movement in Afghanistan room

In the 38th ODI World Cup 2023 clash which is being played at the Wankhede Stadium, the Afghanistan dressing room witnessed an unexpected moment of levity when former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja responded hilariously to Marnus Labuschagne’s constant complaints about movement in Afghanistan’s room.

Labuschagne had been vocal about what he perceived as unwanted distractions within the dressing room. However, when Jadeja appeared on the screen, he was spotted shaking his legs and decided to lighten the mood by breaking into a spontaneous, jovial dance. 

Watch the video here:

Jadeja’s role as a mentor for the Afghanistan cricket team during the 2023 World Cup has proven to be pivotal in the team’s success. Having taken up this role in September 2023, Jadeja’s vast experience and deep knowledge of the sport have been invaluable in steering the Afghanistan team to unprecedented achievements. 

Brilliant batting performance by Ibrahim Zadran

Under his guidance, the team has notched up an impressive four victories in the tournament, placing them in contention for a spot in the semi-finals which is a historic first for Afghanistan in the history of the World Cup. This remarkable progress is particularly noteworthy considering that Afghanistan had only managed a single win across two prior World Cup editions before the 2023 tournament.

Talking about the match, opting to bat first, Afghanistan’s opening pair, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Zadran began steadily, posting 38 runs for the first wicket. Josh Hazlewood disrupted their partnership by dismissing Gurbaz for 21 runs. Zadran and Rahmat Shah then formed an impressive 83-run partnership. 

However, Rahmat was removed by Glenn Maxwell, and Mitchell Starc sent skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi back for 26 runs. Adam Zampa later dismissed Azmatullah Omarzai, and Hazlewood took Mohammad Nabi’s wicket, denting Afghanistan’s progress. Zadran led the resistance, and Rashid Khan contributed an unbeaten 35 runs. Afghanistan faced challenges but managed an impressive total of 291 runs.

Chasing the target, the Australian top order was dismantled by the pace-duo of Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai and later it was Rashid Khan who destroyed Australia’s middle-order. However, star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has kept the hopes alive for the team as he has stitched a 78-run stand with skipper Pat Cummins for the 8th wicket. It’d be interesting to if Australia can pull off a win from here

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/TasneemKhatai/status/1721883075490312298