Following their close defeat against Punjab Kings in the opening match, Delhi Capitals are now preparing to face Rajasthan Royals, who won their first game. Before the highly anticipated clash, a video went viral in which RR spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cheered for Delhi Capitals (DC) player Rishabh Pant during the nets session ahead of their match in Jaipur on Thursday.
Pant returned to competitive cricket after more than 400 days in DC's season opener against Punjab Kings (PBKS). He scored 18 off 13 balls before being dismissed. Despite his team's four-wicket defeat, Pant performed well with the bat and behind the stumps, taking a catch and a stumping during PBKS' batting innings.
In the video posted on Rajasthan's social media handle, a voiceover of Pant's 'Come on Ash, Come on Ash' chants behind the stumps can be heard as Ashwin runs in to bowl. This time, it was Ashwin's turn to motivate the returning Pant with 'Come on Rishabh' cheers.
All these years, Pant had Ash’s back. And today, it was about time… 💗💙 pic.twitter.com/7fuKYmHYaO
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 26, 2024
Although Pant did not begin his 2024 IPL season with a win, Ashwin played a crucial role in RR's victory over Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) in their opening match. Despite a below-average first over, the champion off-spinner bowled three sensational overs, including an incredible 18th over, to help RR secure a 20-run victory. Ashwin finished with impressive figures of 1/35 in four overs on a batting-friendly wicket in Jaipur.