Yash Dayal demonstrated exceptional calmness under pressure while bowling the decisive last over in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) must-win IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday, May 18. His performance enabled his team to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Bengaluru needed to defend 17 runs in the final over to qualify. Dayal was assigned the crucial task of bowling that over. It began with MS Dhoni smashing a huge 110m six. However, Dayal recovered by having Dhoni caught at the leg side boundary on the next ball.
He then delivered precise slower balls, conceding only one run from the remaining four deliveries. Discussing the intense match, Yash Dayal’s father, Chandarpal, revealed that his family stopped watching Dayal’s games after he was hit for five consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh last season.
However, Chandrapal couldn’t resist turning on the TV just before the final over of the RCB vs CSK game. After the first ball was hit for a six, he began praying, hoping his son wouldn’t experience a repeat of last year’s ordeal.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Chandrapal said:
“I blamed myself for ruining another match for my son (by turning on the television to watch the last over). Dhoni can still tear apart any bowler. I just folded my hands and started praying.”
“Aaj mere bachhe ka saath dena bhagwaan, fir se wo nahi hona chahiye (God, please support my son today. It should not happen again). It felt good the way he held his nerve after the first ball. I enjoyed the winning moment.”
Chandrapal observed that despite many writing off Yash Dayal after IPL 2023, the bowler received numerous phone calls and messages following his pivotal role in guiding RCB to a memorable victory against CSK. He further mentioned:
“Everyone wrote him off. And today, I am receiving a number of congratulatory calls and messages. Still, no one is talking about his hard work, grind and the way he tackled the pressure. The slower bouncer he has developed, the other variations he has learnt in the last year.”
“The way he has bowled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where even an edge goes for a six. But it’s fine because in one year, we as a family have realised cricket really is a funny game.”
Yash Dayal was acquired by RCB during the IPL 2024 mini-auction for ₹5 crore. Since then, he has justified the team management’s trust in him. He currently tops the wicket-taking charts for his team this season, having taken 15 wickets in 13 matches with an economy rate of 8.94.
“Paise naale mei baha aaye Bangalore waale” –Chandrapal discussed the reactions from people after Yash Dayal was signed by RCB
Chandrapal mentioned that connections mocked and ridiculed Yash Dayal, prompting them to leave all WhatsApp groups. He remembered someone saying that Bengaluru wasted ₹5 crore by selecting the seamer.
“It never stopped, we as a family, literally quit all WhatsApp groups, barring our family one. Even when RCB picked him in the auction for Rs 5 crore, I remember someone saying ‘Paise naale mei baha aaye Bangalore waale (The franchise threw the money in the drain)’. “
“We live in a world where even if you switch off from social media, you will end up seeing all kinds of stuff,” he said.
“In one of the WhatsApp groups, a person I know shared a meme, mocking Yash for conceding five sixes and I still remember what he wrote with the picture ‘Prayagraj Express ki kahaani shuru hone se pehle hi khatam ho gayi (The story of Prayagraj Express got over before it even began).” Chandrapal added.
Yash Dayal will participate in the match on Wednesday, May 22, as RCB faces Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
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