From sledging to support: Tim Paine cheers babysitter Rishabh Pant’s return

Former Team Australia skipper and wicketkeeper Tim Paine has been more of a thorn in Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant’s side for some time now. Both players have taken digs at each other in recent tournaments, especially on the cricket pitch. However, all that banter has been put aside following Rishabh Pant’s recovery from a horror car accident in 2022.

Tim Paine has been more supportive of the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper since that incident and recently congratulated him on a successful return to the game. Paine posted a video on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, captioning the clip with “Love this @RishabhPant17 💪”.

Before the show of support for Rishabh Pant’s return, there’s been a popular incident involving Paine and other Team India cricketers. Let’s see what went down between these players at a Test series and how they resolved everything off the field.

When Did the Pant – Paine Sledging Incident Happen?

It all started in a Boxing Day Test encounter with India vs Australia, where Paine engaged in sledging attempts against at least three Indian cricketers. He was only able to get a response from Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma during that encounter. The-then Test captain for India Virat Kohli didn’t pay Paine any mind, focusing on delivering a victory for the Men in Green.

Paine had this to say to Rishabh:

“Tell you what big MS is back in the one-day squad. Should get this bloke down to Hurricanes… They need a batter. “Fancy that extend you Aussie holiday, beautiful town Hobart too… get him a waterfront apartment.

“Have him over for dinner. “Do you babysit? I can take my wife to the movies while you watch the kids.”

Pant responded with “Temporary captain” to Paine, signaling the Aussie’s makeshift role as Team Australia captain during the Test encounter.

Did Rishabh Pant Babysit Tim Paine’s Kids?

Shortly after Paine’s comments about Pant babysitting, Rishabh was spotted on New Year’s Day in 2020 with the Aussie cricketer’s family. Paine’s wife kept the banter running with a caption on Instagram “Best babysitter”, referring to her husband’s comments towards Pant in the MCG Test of 2019.

Did Tim Paine Try to Distract Rohit Sharma?

“It’s a bit of a toss up between Royals and Indians for me. But if Rohit hits a six now, I’m changing to Mumbai”, Paine said this to Aaron Finch in an attempt to distract Rohit Sharma.

Sharma responded by saying he would love to see the Australia skipper at the Mumbai Indians (MI), only if he can score a century in that Test. Paine failed to score a century, leading the MI social media team to troll the Aussie cricketer shortly after.  

Tim Paine Career Stats

Tim Paine Batting and Fielding Stats

(Stats are accurate as of February 22, 2024)

Tim Paine Bowling Stats

(Stats are accurate as of February 22, 2024)

Rishabh Pant Career Stats

Rishabh Pant Batting and Fielding Stats

(Stats are accurate as of February 22, 2024)

Rishabh Pant Bowling Stats

(Stats are accurate as of February 22, 2024)