Watch: Rishabh Pant was cheered on by R Ashwin while batting in the nets, marking a sweet role reversal as the wicketkeeper looks to make a full-fledged return to cricket since a near-fatal accident in December 2022.

Pant, the darling of his teammates and the fans for his antics and eccentricities on the field had the cricketing world in shock after a serious car accident left him fearing for his life. After an intensive 15-month rehabilitation, Pant played his first professional game in his team Delhi Capitals’ IPL opener against Punjab Kings last week. He walked out to a standing ovation as supporters applauded his resilience and fight back.

Not only fans but the players have welcomed back Pant with open arms. In a recent video, Ashwin, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, is looking out at Pant batting and cheering him on with the words “Come on Rishabh, come on Rishabh” as a tribute to the left-hander’s chants whenever he was bowling in a Test match.

Pant, who keeps wickets in Test cricket, is known for egging Ashwin on with repeated shouts of “Come on Ash, come on Ash, come on Ash”, which found a special place among all cricket lovers. Ashwin’s recent support of Pant then, was heartwarming.

Pant ended up hitting a six on the next ball after Ashwin’s words, which forced the all-rounder to say, “Well done! What a shot, man. I encouraged you a little and you hit it for a six.”

Ricky Ponting, Delhi’s head coach, hilariously chipped in by saying, “Please stand behind him in the game.”

Delhi and Rajasthan play each other tomorrow (March 28) in Jaipur.

Watch the moment here:

All these years, Pant had Ash’s back. And today, it was about time… 💗💙 pic.twitter.com/7fuKYmHYaO

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 26, 2024

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