A revealing replay showed that Virat Kohli was the mastermind behind Yash Dayal’s dramatic comeback in the final over against MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja. Yash Dayal’s last-over performance against the Chennai Super Kings was a tale of redemption.
A year after conceding five consecutive sixes in a similar scenario for the Gujarat Titans, which led to his removal from the playing XI, subsequent illness, and eventual release from the franchise, Dayal rose to the occasion.
He denied MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the final over of the IPL 2024 clash at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, securing a win for RCB and clinching their playoff spot.
Captain Faf du Plessis had given Dayal the responsibility of the last over with a plan to bowl a yorker to Dhoni, who was on strike. However, the left-arm bowler mis executed the plan, delivering a low full toss that Dhoni smashed high over fine leg for an enormous 110-meter six. This powerful shot left CSK just 11 runs away from playoff qualification.
Kohli, positioned near the boundary, quickly ran to the anxious Dayal, advising him to switch to his signature slower deliveries. “Don’t bowl the yorker, go for the slower deliveries (yorker nahi, slower ball daal),” Kohli was seen mouthing as Dayal listened attentively.
On the next ball, Dayal delivered a back-of-the-hand slower ball, and Dhoni, attempting a pull shot, got dismissed as the ball took the bottom edge of his bat and ballooned towards the fielder at deep midwicket. Infuriated, Dhoni smashed his bat with his hand before walking back to the dugout in disappointment.
Dayal adhered to the plan and effectively troubled Shardul Thakur and Jadeja in the remaining four balls, with the duo managing just one run. As a result, RCB extended their impressive streak to six consecutive wins, securing their playoff position as the fourth-placed team.
After the match, Du Plessis dedicated his Player of the Match award to Dayal for his extraordinary performance in the final over.
He said: “We were defending 175, it got a bit close, at one stage, with MS there, I thought, oh dear, he has done it so many times. The way we bowled with the wet ball was unbelievable, we tried to change it. I dedicate this Man of the Match to Yash Dayal. The way he bowled was unbelievable. For a man who’s fairly new, he deserves it.”
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