The past year hadn't been kind to Yash Dayal. Back in IPL 2023, while playing for a different team, he was mercilessly targeted after Kolkata Knight Riders' batsman Rinku Singh smashed him for five consecutive sixes in a single over. The incident left a lasting mark on Yash, with online trolls and memes adding to the trauma. But everything changed at the Chinnaswamy stadium on May 18 in the IPL 2024 clash between RCB and CSK. Now playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Yash found himself in a pressure cooker situation – RCB needed to defend 17 runs in the final over against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to secure a playoff spot. This was Yash's moment of redemption, and he delivered spectacularly, conceding only 7 runs. The emotions were palpable; teammates engulfed him in hugs and high-fives, celebrating his remarkable comeback.
Yash Dayal's father remember ridiculing experience
Yash's father, Chandarpal, usually avoids watching his son play live due to the stress. However, this time, he couldn't resist the temptation and switched on the TV just before the final over. It was a decision that brought a mix of emotions. While he witnessed his son's triumph live, there was a brief moment of regret. The first ball of the final over was launched for a six by CSK's finisher MS Dhoni, momentarily raising fears of another collapse. But Yash held his nerve, conceding just one run off the remaining five deliveries and etching his name in RCB's history.
“I blamed myself for ruining another match for my son. Dhoni can still tear apart any bowler,” he said over the phone. “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'', Yash Dayal's father told in an interaction with The Indian Express.
Yash Dayal's heroics in RCB's stunning win
Yash Dayal shouldered the weight of an immense task – defending 17 runs in the final over against a formidable foe in Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This was a chance at redemption after a year marred by the trauma of being hit for five consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh in 2023. The burden he carried wasn't just his own; his family, particularly his father Chandarpal, understood the emotional rollercoaster he was on.
Chandarpal, who usually avoids the stress of watching his son play live, couldn't resist tuning in just before the final over. This decision brought a mix of emotions. While witnessing Yash on the verge of redemption was exhilarating, the first ball of the over being clobbered for a six by the legendary MS Dhoni sent shivers down their spines. The memory of Rinku's onslaught likely resurfaced for a fleeting moment.
However, Yash displayed remarkable composure, restricting both Dhoni and the dangerous Ravindra Jadeja, two of the game's most feared finishers. This feat not only secured a crucial playoff berth for RCB but also marked a personal triumph for Yash, silencing the doubts and anxieties that had lingered for a year.
“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),” Yash's father said.
“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 further added.
“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,” said Chandarpal.
The scars of 2023 ran deep. Just days after being hammered for five sixes in a single over, a devastated Yash Dayal questioned his future, asking his father, "Papa, career khatam ho gaya kya mera (Is my career over)?" Fear and uncertainty gnawed at him. But elated by his heroics in the crunch match betwen RCB against CSK, Yash urged his father to witness him in action during the Eliminator.
“I am yet to see a single match at the stadium in this year’s IPL. Yash had asked me to come and watch the last two league games in Bengaluru. I randomly told him ‘playoffs mein aate hain (I will be there in the playoffs)’. He said ‘Papa, chances are very slim.’ Now they have qualified and I will book my tickets for Ahmedabad,” Chandarpal concluded.
RCB will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on May 22.
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