'Had no intention of taking Dhoni's wicket...': Yash Dayal lays it bare on dismissing MSD twice, last-over drama vs CSK
This was the second season in a row that Yash Dayal emerged successful in a final-over face-off against CSK, with MS Dhoni at the crease.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler Yash Dayal, on Sunday, opened up on his last-over heroics against Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he not only defended 15 runs in the final six balls, but also dismissed the legendary MS Dhoni. This was the second time in a row that Dayal emerged successful in a final-over face-off against CSK, with Dhoni at the crease.
With just 15 runs needed for Chennai to secure only their third win in the season and end their long-standing struggle of chasing a 180-plus total, Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja managed three singles in the first three balls against Dayal, who had the clear motive of going with low full-tosses against the two. On the fourth ball, he dismissed the captain LBW, after the batter failed to make contact with the delivery angled onto the leg stump.
Speaking on IPL's website, Dayal opened up on dismissing Dhoni in back-to-back seasons at the same venue .
"At that moment, my mind was only focused on how I should execute the next ball. Since I had done it before, there was confidence in my mind that, yes, I can do it," he said. "There wasn't much difference between last year's wicket and this year's wicket. Last time it was caught out, and this time it was LBW on a yorker. The only thing was that I had to execute properly. I had no intention of taking a wicket. I just happened to get it — that was the lucky part for me."
Drama unfolded when Dayal erred on his execution and bowled a delivery above the waist-high of Shivam Dube, who smashed it for a six. The third umpire called it a no-ball after review, leaving CSK once again on the brink of a victory. But the left-armer held his nerves and bounced back on the final three balls, conceding just three more runs as RCB once again went to the top of the points table.
"The celebration was the same because I didn't realise it myself — I was talking to the one who was actually at the point (Jacob Bethell). I was telling him, 'Throw it, throw it at him.' So my mind was still there. I just wanted the whole thing to finish properly, and only after that did I realise (what had happened)," Dayal added.
Dayal has been a crucial player in RCB's impressive show in IPL 2025 thus far, picking 10 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 9.61. RCB will next play against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 9.
