Ravichandran Ashwin, the spinner for Rajasthan Royals (RR), provided support and encouragement to Rishabh Pant of Delhi Capitals (DC) during the practice session before their match in Jaipur on Thursday.

Pant returned to competitive cricket in DC’s season opener against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where despite their team’s four-wicket loss, Pant showcased good form with the bat, scoring 18 runs off 13 balls before getting dismissed.

Pant showed significant improvement in his wicketkeeping skills, making a catch and a stumping during PBKS’ batting innings. Indian supporters are familiar with Pant’s well-known ‘Come on Ash, Come on Ash’ chants while Ashwin is bowling.

Therefore, it was a moment of reversal as Ashwin encouraged Pant with ‘Come on Rishabh’ cheers upon his return. Rajasthan Royals shared a video of this on their Twitter account:

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 didn’t begin his 2024 IPL season with a win, Ashwin played a crucial part in RR’s triumph against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Despite an average opening over, the accomplished off-spinner delivered three outstanding overs, particularly excelling in the 18th over, contributing to RR’s 20-run win. Ashwin concluded with impressive figures of 1/35 in four overs on a wicket conducive to batting in Jaipur.

DC and RR experienced underwhelming performances in the IPL 2023 season

Despite following different paths, both DC and RR had disappointing seasons in the previous IPL. DC struggled without their regular captain Rishabh Pant, enduring five consecutive losses at the start of their campaign.

While they improved in the latter half, they finished second to last with only five wins in 14 matches. On the other hand, RR carried forward their strong start from the previous season, winning four out of their first five games.

However, Sanju Samson’s team faltered towards the end, managing only seven wins out of 14 matches and failing to reach the playoffs. Both teams have faced challenges in winning the IPL title in recent years.

RR hasn’t won the IPL since the inaugural edition in 2008, while DC has never lifted the trophy in their history. Despite their struggles, RR was considered one of the favorites to reach the playoffs in IPL 2024, and they have made a strong start to their campaign with a convincing victory over LSG.

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