"Jab cricket rulati hai, bahut rulati hai," these are the words of Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan captain, who was an aggressor with the bat. But deep down, he too had seen the worst of mental health during bad phases in between the 22 yards. In this statement, made some six years ago, Afridi spoke on how brutal the sport is on the day when everything goes against you in the middle. Yash Dayal must have felt those words too on the night of April 9 when Rinku Singh hit him for 5 back-to-back sixes to win a game for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from nowhere. The Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer was broken into pieces. A day later, reports emerged of his parents not eating food after seeing their son's worst day on the pitch so far. "It was a nightmare, my wife was inconsolable and stopped eating after the match," Yash father Chandrapal Dayal had told PTI.
Also Read | 'Yash Dayal Fell Ill, Lost 7-8 Kgs': Hardik Pandya After GT Pacer Hit For Five Sixes By Rinku Singh
A few days later, GT captain Hardik Pandya, revealed that Yash had lost 7 to 8 kgs after that night and that he also fell ill due to a viral. Yash made his comeback on May 15 in a game vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), picking 1 for 31. But in between, he went through a lot.
After the Rinku Singh's five unforgettable sixes with the bat, Yash Dayal is back for Gujarat Titans.
And he gets a wicket in his first over.
Well done, Yash Dayal. pic.twitter.com/d3DyiGJhpt
— Rahul Sharma (@CricFnatic) May 15, 2023
How Gujarat players cheered up Yash after that horrific over
Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricketer Robin Uthappa, who is on the commentary panel of Jio Cinema, revealed a never-heard-before story of how the GT players helped Yash smile after bowling a 31-run last over. Answering a Zee News English question over an online group call with journalists, Uthappa said that GT players planned a dance and singing night for Yash on the same night they lost the game to KKR and ensured the pacer went to sleep relaxed and with a smile on his face.
Here's what Uthappa said: "It is extremely hard to go through that. I sent some time with the Gujarat Titans at the team hotel as I was interviewing one of the players there. One of them explained the story of what happened that day and I think it is a phenomenal story as to how a team can help a player who had a terrible day. They actually came back from the hotel that day and met at a team room. They brought Yash in and they had a great singing and dancing night. They made fun of what had happened to him and got him to laugh at himself."
'Important to learn that there will be more bad days than good in sport'
After narrating the Yash Dayal story, Uthappa added that young cricketers need to understand that there will be more bad days in cricket than good. And taking pressure and dealing with failures is part and parcel of the game. "At the end of the day, it is a job that we all do. It is open for criticism because it is viewed by millions and millions of people. When we have a bad day, it is witnessed by the whole world," said Uthappa, explaining the pressure there is on a cricketer who plays in IPL.
