Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin encouraged Delhi Capitals (DC) Rishabh Pant during the nets practice before of the sides’ game in Jaipur on Thursday.
Rishabh Pant made his long-awaited comeback to competitive cricket in DC’s season opener against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). While his side lost a four-wicket setback, the southpaw looked in good form with the willow, reaching 18 off 13 before being dismissed.
Rishabh Pant also looked better than ever behind the stumps with the gloves, making a catch and stumping during PBKS’ batting innings.
Indian supporters echo Rishabh Pant’s iconic ‘Come on Ash, Come on Ash’ cries behind the stumps as Ashwin charges toward the bowl. As a result, it was time for a role reversal, as the latter encouraged the returning Rishabh Pant with ‘Come on Rishabh’ chants.
Here’s a video of it released by the Rajasthan Royals on their Twitter account:
While Rishabh Pant did not start the 2024 IPL season on a winning note, Ashwin was instrumental in RR’s victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Following a subpar first over, the champion off-spinner bowled three great overs, including an amazing 18th over, to help RR win by 20 runs. Ashwin ended with impressive figures of 1/35 in four overs on a batting-friendly track in Jaipur.
DC and RR Endure Disappointing IPL 2023 Campaigns
Despite their divergent paths, both DC and RR had poor seasons in last year’s IPL.
Delhi Capitals (DC) struggled without captain Rishabh Pant. They faced a dismal start with five consecutive losses. Their performance improved later, but ended second last with only five wins from fourteen matches. Tough times for DC.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) began strongly, winning four of their opening five games, continuing their form from IPL 2022. However, Sanju Samson’s team faltered later, managing just seven wins in fourteen matches. A disappointing season for RR as they missed the playoffs.
Both clubs have failed to reach IPL success in recent years. While RR hasn’t won an IPL title since the inaugural season in 2008, DC has never won the coveted trophy in their torrid history.
RR were among the pre-tournament favorites to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs, and they got off to a great start with a comfortable win against LSG.