"Abhi woh 20-21 saal ka hi hain" - When Rohit Sharma slammed fans for trolling Rishabh Pant in an Instagram live with Yuvraj Singh

(L-R): Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma share a great rapport off the field. (Credits: Twitter)

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has carved a niche for himself with his aggressive approach very early into his international career. He has taken his game to a new level and is currently the first-choice keeper across formats.

Pant first made a mark in the U-19 World Cup from where he fast-tracked into the national team. While he possessed some unreal talent with the bat, he had to work hard to polish his abilities. Early in his career, Pant failed on a few occasions and also faced the wrath of fans for his inconsistency.

Rohit Sharma once came in support of the youngsters in the side, including Pant, and slammed media outlets and fans for unnecessary criticism. In an Instagram Live session alongside former cricketer Yuvraj Singh during the COVID-19 lockdown back in 2020, Rohit stated:

"Mein Rishabh se zyada baat karta hu, usko samjhata hu ki kaise handle karna hain. Abhi woh 20-21 saal ka hi hain, uske upar itna scrutiny agaya ki woh pareshan hogaya. (I talk to Rishabh Pant the most and I make him understand how to handle things. He is just 20-21, he was under so much of scrutiny that he got tensed.)"

He added:

"Media thinks it's part of their job to write, but they should be sensible and think before writing something as it plays a huge part."

Rohit has time and again criticized the media for their lack of patience and harshness surrounding Pant. All that backing has augured well as Pant has emerged as one of the global stars in world cricket to become an integral part of the Indian team, led by Rohit.

Rishabh Pant to return to action during Asia Cup 2022

India's squad for the 2022 Asia Cup 💪

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After non-stop action in the last few months, Pant was granted a break from the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.

The southpaw will return to action during the upcoming Asia Cup, which gets underway on August 27 in the UAE.

Pant's recent outings with the bat in the shortest format of the game have not been great. He will look to hit the strides soon with Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson fighting for an opportunity to present their case ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

The Men in Blue will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28 in Dubai.