The Indian Premier League (IPL) can make, break and remake a player. Remembered for conceding five sixes in the last five balls of the match to Rinku Singh last season, Yash Dayal redeemed himself by fetching a price of Rs 5 crore at the 2024 IPL auction.
Heartening for the uncapped pace bowler from Uttar Pradesh was the sight of his former employers Gujarat Titans engage in the bidding war in Dubai with Royal Challengers Bangalore, who eventually secured his services.
Dayal’s journey in the IPL has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. He grabbed headlines when Gujarat Titans bought him for Rs 3.20 crore in 2022. In the team’s victorious campaign that season, Dayal claimed 11 wickets in nine matches.
However, he was taught lessons in the opposite side of professional sports the very next season. Gujarat Titans reached the final once again, but Dayal took only two wickets in five matches, going at 11.78 runs per over.
The horror came in Ahmedabad against Kolkata Knight Riders, who were chasing 205 to win. Dayal had to defend 29 runs in the final over, when Rinku launched that unbelievable assault. Dayal was absent from the XI for over a month after that, but returned for two more games, without doing anything of note.
For him to get catapulted into IPL prominence again for a totally different reason is a great story. You never write anybody or anything off, especially in the IPL. If you do, reality will find a way to make a fool out of you. Ask Yash Dayal.