IPL 2024: Yash Dayal's Bold Comeback After a Titanic Nightmare

From conceding 5 sixes from Rinku Singh to denying MS Dhoni a fairytale ending, Yash Dayal completed a bold comeback

Ahead of the IPL 2024, Gujarat Titans decided to release the left-arm pacer from their squad.

Image: BCCI/Altered by The Quint

Since emerging onto the cricketing scene, pace bowler Yash Dayal has been inseparable from the memory of Rinku Singh's stunning display. It was an ill-fated day from 2023, when the erstwhile Gujarat Titans' bowler was asked by Hardik Pandya to defend 28 runs in the final over.

The task seemed to be easy. However, what followed was a spectacle of power-hitting as Rinku Singh mercilessly dispatched five consecutive sixes, leaving Dayal's efforts futile. The events that unfolded after remain shrouded in ambiguity, a hazy chapter in Dayal's career.

Fast forward to the present, the stage was set for a virtual showdown between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This match held a special significance as it might mark the final confrontation between the legendary MS Dhoni and the Virat Kohli, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru — a venue notoriously unfriendly to bowlers.

Yash Dayal took MS Dhoni's wicket on the second delivery of the final over.

Image: BCCI

That Last Over

Tension has gripped the stadium. Skipper Faf du Plessis entrusted Dayal with the ball, tasking him with defending 17 runs in the final over to finish with a net run rate higher than that of CSK. It was a moment of redemption for Dayal, and a chance for his team, who were once among the bottom-dwellers, to secure a playoff spot and defy the odds. Yet, standing in their way was the legendary finisher, MS Dhoni, known for his penchant for scripting fairy tale endings.

As Dayal prepared to deliver, the weight of past failures threatened to overwhelm him, memories of his mauling by KKR's Rinku Singh haunted his mind. But this time, something felt different. With steely resolve, he sent down a full toss aimed at Dhoni's pads, only to watch in dismay as the ball was dispatched over fine leg and outside the stadium. Now, with 11 needed off 5 balls, the pressure intensified.

Amidst the mounting tension, Dayal finds clarity. This was his moment of reckoning, a chance to rewrite his narrative, to silence the doubters and seize redemption — he conjured a deceptive slower ball, which has been his forte throughout his career, bamboozling Dhoni, resulting in a mistimed shot that spiralled high into the air, landed safely in the hands of the fielder at deep backward square leg.

As Dhoni trudged back to the pavilion, disappointment etched on his face, the roar of the ecstatic fans reverberated through the stadium. 

With Shardul Thakur facing the third ball, the stadium held its breath. A dot ball brought a collective sigh from the fans, but the match was far from over. With 11 needed off 3 balls, Shardul managed a single, putting Ravindra Jadeja on strike with 10 runs needed from 2 balls. It was a familiar scenario, reminiscent of last year's final against CSK, where Jadeja had risen to the occasion with similar odds stacked against him. However, this time, Yash Dayal's dot ball on the penultimate delivery sealed RCB's playoff spot.

Yash Dayal defended 16 runs in the final over of the RCB vs CSK game.

Image: BCCI

Prepared for Come What May

After the match, Dayal said:

After what happened to me last time [against KKR in 2023], there was nervousness. When I got hit off that first ball, I subconsciously went back to that place. But I have done well in the past, I have done well after that, so all that was running through my mind was to deliver a good ball. I didn't want to look at the scoreboard or the result. I just wanted to bowl well. I was confident with my execution.

Yash Dayal

But Dayal wasn’t the initial choice to roll his arm over in the deciding over. "I was supposed to bowl the second-last over," he said. "Suddenly DK bhaiya and Faf talked to each other, and it was decided that Lockie bowls the 19th and me the last. I was fine with anything,” he would reveal. 

All About Bouncing Back

It may seem that all of it was a coincidence but the 26-year-old had been preparing for this day and moment ever since his spell against KKR. Not only did he realise the importance of the opportunity, he knew it was his chance to prove his worth to the world.

Speaking with The Quint prior to the season, he had said:

The good thing is that when I'm in a similar situation next time I have time to be prepared. I have time, I have resources. If I don't prepare now then it's my fault. When something like that (spell against KKR) happens people start talking. The important thing is how you bounce back. It's then when your real character shows.

Yash Dayal

And now, after making a remarkable comeback in the tournament, Yash Dayal credited his success to batting legend Virat Kohli and revealed how the former RCB skipper's words deeply resonated with him and provided crucial guidance.

Yash Dayal revealed Virat Kohli's advice to him ahead of the season.

Image: BCCI

When I came in RCB, I remember Virat Kohli bhaiya told me I can tell you the process about how to cope with the criticism as I can correlate with you because these things have happened with me as well, that words from Virat bhaiya helped me a lot.

Yash Dayal

The left-arm quick also highlighted the crucial support from the team's management, which he believes has yielded a positive outcome for the team. 

RCB told from day one that I'm an important player for them. They've backed me to the core, the results you're seeing now are due to their backing and trusting in me.

Yash Dayal