RCB left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, in a recent interview with NDTV Sports, shared a memory of how Kohli’s masterplan against Dhoni helped him in a match against the CSK.
Yash Dayal had a disgusting season with Gujarat Titans in 2023, in which he was smacked for five massive sixes in the final over by KKR batter Rinku Singh. This had a toll on his mental health and he lacked confidence before entering the next season when he was picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In an almost do-or-die match, RCB needed to win the match by 18 runs in order to remain in the competition while Chennai too needed to score 17 runs to qualify. In this crucial moment, Dayal was handed the ball by skipper Faf, and he had to face one of the World’s most fierce finishers, MS Dhoni.
Dhoni hit the bowler for a humongous six off the very first ball, this was when Kohli approached the bowler and advised Dayal to slow down his pace and bowl a slower ball instead of a yorker.
“Virat bhaiya told me to not give pace to Mahi bhai, because he likes pace, so Virat bhaiya calmed me down after the 1st ball six, a chat with him helped me a lot,” Dayal revealed.
Following this advice, Dayal got rid of the CSK veteran, Dhoni. This led to RCB’s victory by 27 runs, and as a result of which, RCB qualified for the playoffs instead of the Men in Yellow.
In the interview, he also revealed that Kohli is very different from the way he is often perceived to be.
“Virat eased the pressure before the first match by telling me that RCB were going to back me throughout the season, irrespective of how I performed.” This is what Kohli said to the young pacer and allowed him to concentrate on the upcoming fixtures rather than sticking to the past.
Yash Dayal receives maiden Test call-up from the Indian team
The young pacer has been picked for the Bangladesh Tests. He will look to fill the void of left-arm pacers in the team. Though he is not known for his pace, Dayal has been famous in the domestic circle for his lateral movement and accuracy.
His performance in the domestic circle has been stunning for the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Board, and he has dished out dominant performances in the Duleep Trophy as well. Dayal has largely given the credit behind his success to Virat Kohli, as he makes his way to earn the debut cap for India.
The Bangladesh Test will be followed by another home series against the New Zealand team. Yash Dayal will look to show his mettle in the series if he gets a chance.
