Needing 17 runs for CSK to secure qualification in the final over, Yash Dayal gave only seven runs to see his team RCB through to IPL 2024 playoffs.
Bengaluru: It was on April 9, 2023 when social media abuse of Yash Dayal made the then-Gujarat Titans pacer ill following Rinku Singh’s five sixes in an over. A year and 10 days later, Dayal scripted his redemption as he kept Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni at bay to see his team through to IPL 2024 playoffs, but in a different jersey. Needing 17 runs in the final over to secure qualification, Dhoni smashed Dayal for a six in the first ball. The 26-year-old from Uttar Pradesh kept his cool to dismiss Dhoni in the next ball and conceded just a run in the next four to take RCB through.
Taking to Instagram, Rinku heaped praise for Dayal and posted a story with the image of the pacer. The KKR batter wrote, “God’s plan, baby.”
Instagram story by Rinku Singh for YASH DHAYAL. 👏 pic.twitter.com/tUFBlJvr0n
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2024
Following that fateful night against KKR, Dayal never returned to the field in IPL 2023. Eventually, Gujarat Titans released him before the auctions last year and RCB showed faith in the left-arm pacer. “RCB has backed me a lot, when I came to the team, they told ‘I am an important player’ and they did to all youngsters and that is showing in the results,” Dayal said.
Heaping praise for captain Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, Dayal said, “Faf is an unbelievable captain – there is Virat bhaiya, Faf in the group, it helps all youngsters to be calm in pressure situations.” He added. Such impressed was Du Plessis with Dayal, that he dedicated his Man of the Match award to the pacer.
“I dedicate the Man of the Match (award) to Yash Dayal! I said to him pace off on this wicket is the best option,” Du Plessis said during the post-match presentation ceremony. “What a night! Such a great atmosphere. Just a pleasure to finish the season in front of the home fans,” he added.