Ajay Jadeja (right) with Shekhar Suman and Shruti Seth in Comedy Circus

He was always the funny guy in the Indian dressing room. And now Ajay Jadeja is on the judge’s seat in Comedy Circus 20:20, the all new edition of the Sony comedy show. A t2 chat with the cricketer-turned-actor-turned-show judge…

A judge on Comedy Circus 20:20. How did that happen?

Who said I’m a judge? They are all lying! I am the umpire of the show (laughs). But seriously, I think this show is fantastic. I have been following previous versions on television for many years now and there have been very few gags or episodes that I haven’t enjoyed. This edition of the show, as everyone knows, is built around cricket, specifically IPL. All the gags and jokes will be about IPL. I guess when it was about cricket and comedy, they could think of only one person and that’s me! (laughs)

You were always known as the big prankster in the Indian dressing room. Are you a prankster on the Comedy Circus sets too?

Oh no, no! I am a very serious judge on the sets (laughs). We have just shot two episodes, so I will still need some time to get used to the people and the ambience. And then, it’s all very different in the Indian dressing room. There you are surrounded by 10-15 people who are very close to you, people you are comfortable with. Moreover, all the joking and pranks in the dressing room has a purpose — to relieve tension and ease up the players before a match.

Given your natural comic flair, why are you a judge and not a participant on Comedy Circus?

Never! Have you seen how talented the participants are? They would practically eat me alive! I don’t know how Vinod (Kambli) has the guts to perform alongside such talented people. You would have to drag me to the stage. Playing at Eden Gardens is a lot easier!

Are cricketers largely jovial by nature or are you and Kambli an exception?

Most loved to crack jokes and fool around. Yuvraj (Singh) is constantly playing pranks. All the younger boys in the team too are full of jokes. But then there are some extremely boring people too who pride themselves upon being serious all the time. And no, I am not going to name them!

Your co-judge Shekhar Suman is a stand-up veteran. How has your experience with him been?

Oh, Shekhar is the Don Bradman or the Sachin Tendulkar of this world. Being so good at comedy himself, he understands it much better than I do. There are so many times when he catches the hidden meaning of a joke and laughs out loud, without me even understanding what the joke was. What do I do? I laugh on cue to save face!

Have you taken any tips from Navjot Singh Sidhu?

Sidhu paaji is a class apart. No one can rival him. You think I can ever come up with all those priceless oneliners even if I tried? (Laughs).

How have the gags on the show been so far? Any side-splitting moments?

Plenty of them. So far, I have had a great time on the show. Considering that all the jokes are about cricket and cricketers, things are even more fun for me. But it’s all said in good humour and we don’t want anyone to take offence. The participants have been cracking jokes at my expense too!