United States cricketers Ali Khan and Aaron Jones recreated West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell's hilarious interview from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after the co-hosts qualified for the Super 8 stage in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The United States' dream run in the tournament continued on June 14, when their match against Ireland was abandoned without a ball bowled. This result secured the one point they needed to advance, eliminating Pakistan from contention. The Americans finished the group stage with a 2-1-1 record. They finished second in the group behind India with five points.
Following the qualification, the USA dressing room atmosphere was lighthearted. In a video shared by the ICC on Instagram, Khan interviewed Jones, impersonating the interviewer from Russell's BPL interview.
"First World Cup, you perform. What happening?" Khan asked Jones. "What you mean?" The USA's second-leading scorer in the tournament with 141 runs Jones replied. The playful exchange caught the attention of Russell himself, who commented on the video with laughing emojis and "what you mean!!!"
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"We have been speaking about this sort of stuff, over the last couple of years. And it's a reality right now. And I'm just happy that the boys get over the line. Super 8, here we come," Jones said.
Khan, ecstatic about the team's achievement, declared them the "founding fathers of cricket for America." However, he emphasized that their work isn't finished.
"I feel amazing, over the moon," Khan said. "I think we just created history. We'll be known as the founding fathers for cricket in America. But the job's not done yet."
The U.S. opens Super 8 play against South Africa on Wednesday, June 19. By reaching the Super 8, the Americans also automatically qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
