New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The meteoric rise of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Yash Dayal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has made him one of the biggest comeback stories of the tournament. The left-arm speedster led his side to the playoffs after bowling the crucial last over against defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a must-win game.

Defending the target of 17 runs for the playoffs spot, Yash conceded only seven runs in the over, despite being hit for a 110m six on the first ball by M.S Dhoni. He picked Dhoni on the next ball and bowled four dot balls in the over to victory and make it six wins on a trot for the franchise.

The pacer's father Chandarpal Dayal lauded his son's effort in RCB's vital match and said his last-over heroics will wash off the negative impression of being hit for five consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh in the last edition of the tournament.

"Everyone witnessed what he did for RCB on that day against the world's best finishers - Dhoni and Jadeja. After Dhoni hit him for the longest six of the season on the first ball, the bad memories of last year (being hit for five consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh in an over) haunted us but he kept his calm and made a comeback by taking Dhoni's wicket. He just conceded one run in the last four balls," Chandarpal Dayal told on Tuesday.

"It was a proud moment for us and it gave us a huge relief as we were carrying the burden of last year's incident. All the pressure was released from us after the win. I've huge confidence in my son's ability as he has worked hard on his bowling, especially on slower ones," he added.

The pacer's father revealed that his son controlled his emotions and backed his skills in the crunch situation.

"Yash told his mother that the after-match party lasted till 5 AM (after beating CSK). He was so happy. Also, he said that when he got hit for a six in the first ball by Dhoni, he controlled himself to just focus on bowling, not thinking about who was there on the crease, whether it was Dhoni or Jadeja," he said.

Asked about the psychological impact of Rinku Singh's six-assault, Chandarpal revealed that he told Yash to put in more hard work and not get upset by that incident.

"I never gave him advice about cricket despite being a former club-level pacer. We just supported him mentally and encouraged him to do more hard work after that incident. I told him that, 'you're not the only bowler (to be hit for five straight sixes) and you won't be last either, so keep honing your skills'."

Yash, who made his IPL debut in 2022 with Gujarat Titans, is having the best season of his career. This season, he is the highest wicket-taker for RCB with 15 wickets in 13 matches. Ahead of the season, RCB picked the pacer for Rs five crore and gave him consistent chances throughout the season.

Apart from the constant support from the coaching staff, India star Virat Kohli also played a guiding role in his resurgence in IPL.

"Yash tells me that there is strong franchise support from RCB. When he joined the side, they gave him very strong support. He was told that 'you're an important part of the franchise and will have to play every game of the season'. Kohli also supported him on and off the field," Chandarpal said.

He remains hopeful that Yash will bag his India cap by the end of this year. Yash was among the five bowlers who were granted fast bowling contracts by the BCCI earlier this year.

On RCB's chances of winning the IPL trophy, Chandarpal said, "RCB is the most followed franchise but they were unlucky not to lift the title so far. This time, the scenario is different as they made a comeback after a bad start and went on to win six consecutive games to qualify for the playoffs. I hope that they continue to win the next three games to become champions. I extend my best wishes to the franchise."

RCB will take on Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.