Getting smashed for 5 consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh was a career-threatening encounter for Yash Dayal in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The left-arm quick failed to defend 29 runs in the final over and the brutal thrashing impacted him mentally. But the future held something special for the Uttar Pradesh fast bowler.
Coming to the IPL 2024, he helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru seal a spot in the 2024 IPL playoffs by defending 17 in the last over against Chennai Super Kings which was dubbed as one of the greatest redemption stories. Moreover, his skillset in the white-ball and First-class cricket impressed the selectors enough to earn a fast-bowling contract earlier this year and was recently called up for the Bangladesh Tests as well.
In a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Dayal recalled how the thrashing from Rinku in the IPL 2023 affected his family members as well.
“My family had to bear the brunt. My mother couldn’t believe such things could happen to her son. During that phase, my family suffered acute anxiety, and at times they stopped eating. I kept telling them that as a cricketer there will be off days and good days. I will perform sometimes and sometimes I won’t. They shouldn’t be scared about what happened or what will happen,” Dayal told Cricinfo.
“I was told [by my friends and Gujarat Titans coaches] not to go onto social media after that game, but I did and I was highly impacted by what was being said about me. But as they say, a good support structure comes in handy at such times. My family supported me. I supported them. I would also like to give credit to my state team [Uttar Pradesh], who never made me feel like I was not fit to be part of the playing XI.
“Then RCB picked me [for the 2024 IPL] and backed me. I also heard Wasim Akram saying [after Dayal’s final over against CSK] that it was ‘written in the stars’. I feel that if that [Rinku over] hadn’t happened to me, I don’t know if I might have come here today,” he added.
The fast bowler further mentioned that he is a much different player than he used to be when he was with the Gujarat Titans.
“At Titans, I was an immature kid who had just started playing professionally. Now I am a bit more mature after learning those life lessons. Earlier, I used to be in fear, but now I enjoy life. The things that were affecting me negatively, now I look at those positively,” Dayal said.
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