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Cricket Players'He lost 7-8 kilos, fell ill' after Rinku hit him for 5 sixes: Hardik says Yash Dayal's ‘condition not good’ to play
More than a fortnight since that fateful day vs KKR, GT captain Hardik Pandya revealed that Yash Dayal's "condition is still not good enough" to play.
Cricket can be cruel at times. Yash Dayal found out the hard way. The Gujarat Titans left-arm pacer's cricketing career has hit an unexpected roadblock ever since being hit for five consecutive sixes by Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh when 28 were needed off the last five balls in an IPL 2023 match. Dayal, one of GT's finds in their title-winning run last year, not only lost his place in the XI but his mental and physical health deteriorated considerably.
More than a fortnight since that fateful day at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya revealed that Dayal's "condition is still not good enough" to take the field and it might take him a long time to make a comeback. After GT's comfortable victory against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, Hardik also shared that Dayal lost about 7-8 kilos due to illness after Rinku's onslaught.
“I can’t confirm that (on his chances of Yash Dayal playing again this season)," Hardik said when enquired about Dayal during the post-match show on Star Sports. "He fell ill and lost 7-8 kilos after that match. There was a spread of viral infection during that period and also due to the pressure he had faced, his condition is presently not good enough to take the field. Someone’s loss is someone’s gain at the end of the day. It is going to take a long time before we see him on the field,” Hardik added.
Dayal picked up 11 wickets in 9 outings for the defending champions last year. The 25-year-old, however, was off-colour this year. In the three matches that he played, the left-arm pacer failed to pick up a single wicket and conceded runs at an economy rate of 15.83.
Notably, the KKR match had its toll not only on Dayal but also on his family, Yash's mother had stopped eating for a couple of days after seeing her son being taken to the cleaners by Rinku Singh. His father, however, has remained strong and backed his son to make a strong comeback.
"These are the moments sport is made up of. Even in life, you come across failures, it's important to stand up stronger," Chandrapal, Yash's father, had told PTI.
GT, meanwhile, became the first team to defend the total at the Narendra Modi Stadium this season. Shubman Gill top-scored with 56 but it was the belligerent hitting of David Miller (46) and Abhinav Manohar (42) in the death overs that earned Gujarat its highest-ever IPL total of 207-6.
Afghan spin duo Noor Ahmad (3-37) and Rashid Khan (2-27) dismantled Mumbai’s middle-order before Nehal Wadhera’s quickfire 40 off 21 balls saw Mumbai finish at 152-9.
