The Indian cricket team recently marked the one-year anniversary of their victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, with star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant playfully teasing all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja during the celebration. The team brought out two cakes for the occasion, and while the players initially hesitated, they soon joined in the festivities. Test Captain Shubman Gill encouraged Arshdeep Singh to take the lead in cutting the cake, followed by Mohammed Siraj and player of the tournament Jasprit Bumrah joining in the fun.
As they celebrated, the players fed each other cake, with Bumrah turning to offer a piece to both Pant and Jadeja. Pant reciprocated by feeding Bumrah and then Jadeja, humorously noting that this cake slice commemorated Jadeja's retirement anniversary. Although they did not specify which format he retired from, AJds cleverly pointed out that it was only one format.
"Jaddu bhai ko, happy retirement, ek saal ho gaye." [To Jaddu bhai, happy retirement — it's been a year.]
Jadeja then clarified,
"Ek hi format se liye he abhi tak." [I have retired from one format only.]
The celebration was captured in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), showcasing the team's camaraderie as they reminisced about their T20 World Cup triumph.
It's worth noting that Jadeja announced his retirement from T20 cricket immediately following the World Cup final, alongside fellow seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who also stepped back from Test cricket. However, Jadeja continues to play in ODIs.
Despite not having a standout performance in the World Cup, Jadeja remains a vital part of the team, which successfully clinched the trophy after a 17-year wait since 2007. While Jadeja faced challenges in the England Test series, Pant shone with two centuries, although the team faced defeat. India is set to play the second Test on July 2 at Edgbaston.