'Don't get scared; I am coming...': How Yash Dayal's father consoled his crestfallen son after nightmarish final over

Miles away from Ahmedabad, in Allahabad, Chandarpal Dayal, Yash Dayal's father knew what his son would have gone through.

Yash Dayal and Rinku Singh were subjected to two contrasting emotions following a roller-coaster end to the Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders match at IPL 2023. While Rinku smashed five sixes in the last over to trigger celebrations in the KKR dugout, left-arm pacer Dayal, who bowled the final over, was left crestfallen and heartbroken over that had transpired. The 25-year-old pacer finished with 0/69 – the second most expensive over in the history of IPL – with images of him being in tears flashing on the screen and flooding the internet.

Yash Dayal was all over the place after failing to defend 28 off 5 balls. (Screengrab)

Miles away from Ahmedabad, in Allahabad, Chandarpal Dayal, Yash's father knew what his son would have gone through. Years ago, while playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Chandarpal had gotten hit for a hat-trick of sixes in one over. On Sunday evening, his sun was subjected to something even more painful when he failed to defend 28 runs off the final over. Some of his relatives were present in the stadium, who on Chandarpal's insistence, met Yash to calm him down.

"I told them to go and motivate him. Pick-up his morale. He would be understandably depressed. Please go. He speaks very little. He is an introvert, and in such situations, he can become a touch numb," Chandarpal told The Indian Express. "I have been a cricketer but being a father, mother is something else. I did get a bit depressed, 'kyun hua, kaise hua... (why it happened, how it happened), the mind was in a loop, worried for my son."

Chandarpal then revealed he had a peptalk with Yash after the nightmarish, reminding him that his son wasn't the only bowler to be subjected to such a beating. Stuart Broad, from a stage where he got smashed for 6 sixes in an over, went on to become a great. As did Lasith Malinga who was already in his prime when Virat Kohli dished out a royal hammering in Perth 2012.

"Ghabraana nahi (Don't get scared). I then said: 'This is not some new thing in cricket. Bowlers getting hit. It has happened to big bowlers. Just do hard work, see where you made mistakes, but remember this is not the first time it has happened in cricket. Big players like Malinga, Stuart Broad have gone through the situation'," he said.

"I told him I am coming there to you; I will be with you… he will bounce back. This was a dark night, and I hope this never recurs again in his life. He will definitely come back strongly."