The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not only a stage for the worlds best to entertain millions but also a platform for a domestic cricketer to prove their mettle and commitment to the cause. Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer, Yash Dayal ticked all those boxes on Sunday as he put his body on the line to complete a brilliant catch against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
GT seized control of their Sunday afternoon encounter against KKR in Ahmedabad by having the opposition reeling at 28/2 after four overs chasing for 205. The main highlight of the game was Yash Dayal’s exemplary catch that send back Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the third over in the innings.
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A belligerent Mohammed Shami bowled at a fiery pace against the Afghan batsman and pitched the third ball of the over after seeing his counterpart dancing down the track. Gurbaz failed to anticipate the short delivery and ended up playing a shabby hook shot, only to get the ball hooked onto the gloves of Yash Dayal.
As the ball flew in the air, both wicket-keeper Wridhiman Saha and short fine-leg Yash Dayal rushed towards it. The ball rose and dip quickly, meaning there was no time for both players to call for the catch, ensuring a recipe for disaster that seemed to come true as the two reached the Kookaburra at the exact same time.
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Both Saha and Yash Dayal put in despairing full-length dives in hopes of somehow plucking the ball off the ground and ended up in an inevitable severe collision which could have led to serious injuries on some other day. As the Titans players looked on in concern and dismay, Dayal suddenly sat up with the ball in his hand much to everyone’s surprise. Replays showed that Dayal had executed his dive a bit higher off the ground, thereby managing to grab the ball over Saha’s gloves while using them as a cushion.
Here is the video of the catch by Yash Dayal:
The effort had the Twiteratti go in a frenzy as they took to social media to praise Dayal’s commitment and athleticism.
https://twitter.com/KishoreBardhan/status/1645036929354993666?s=20
@MohammadKaif
Catch by Yash Dayal in today's match almost a similar effort by you with ball in ind vs pak match.@IPL— Dhruv Shah (@dsdshah59) April 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/SarleNuvvelluu/status/1645037110578270210?s=20
What a superb catch from Yash Dayal.
Gurbaz would feel he is unlucky, departs for 15 runs— OCBscores (@ocbscoresIndia) April 9, 2023
What a catch by Yash Dayal 😯 #GTvsKKR
— Dev (@MSDIAN___DEV) April 9, 2023
Wow two stunners by Yash Dayal on short fine leg
— Jitendra 🎶 (@Jitendr63761289) April 9, 2023
What an effort from Yash Dayal to complete the catch#GTvsKKR pic.twitter.com/85BNPdQ73N
— Chandra Shekar (@Shekar4266) April 9, 2023
