Ravichandran Ashwin was caught up in a hilarious moment with fans during one of the practice sessions with Rajasthan Royals. The 16th edition of the eagerly-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) kickstarts in less than a week as defending champions Gujarat Titans play Chennai Super Kings on Friday, March 31.
Notably, players of all franchises have begun preparations in full swing for the mega cricket carnival as they will be gunning to compete for the coveted title. In the midst of one of the training sessions at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Royals’ veteran all-rounder Ashwin engaged in a hilarious banter with fans present at the venue.
“Jhalak dikhla Jaa, ek baar aaja aaja aaja aaja aaaaajaa,” fans in unison.
“I only brought them (looks at the camera). Wahh! Kamaal hai yaar,” responds Ashwin.
In the video, fans can be heard singing Himesh Reshamiya’s super-hit track ‘Jhalak dikhla Jaa’ to meet the veteran offie. In doing so, Ashwin can be seen smiling as he was impressed by the antics by fans at the venue.
Rajasthan Royals raring for an improved 2023 season
The Sanju Samson-led side relished a tremendous run in the previous season as they made it to the summit clash of the event. Notably, the Rajasthan-based franchise stood second in the points table with nine wins in 14 outings which saw through them to the playoffs.
However, the 2008 IPL winners were unable to get their hands on a second title after a dominant performance by Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans in the finals. In the mini-auction in December, Rajasthan roped in the likes of Adam Zampa, Jason Holder, and Murugan Ashwin among others.
At the helm, Sanju Samson too had a decent season with the bat in 2022 but along with the rest of the unit, the Royals will look to have an improved season in the 16th edition. Sanju Samson and Co. will be seen in action against Aiden Markram’s Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, April 2. However, they play their first home match as late as April 19 against Lucknow Super Giants at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
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