For almost a year, Chanderpal Dayal avoided stepping out of his home near Allahabad’s Karbala Masjid in the afternoons. The reason was both strange and painful. School buses would pass through his area and children would peer out the window, chanting “Rinnakuu Siingh…
“For us, it was a tragedy,” Chandrapal, a retired officer of the Accountant General’s office in Allahabad, says chokingly, recalling those days in 2023.
“The school bus would pass by and the kids would shout, ‘Rinku Singh, Rinku Singh, five sixes.’ It was very painful – why did this happen to my son?” He could hardly hide his tears.
But sport is indeed a great balancer and for the Dayal family, Yash’s comeback has become a legend as he has been included in the squad for the first time for the Test match against Bangladesh starting in Chennai from September 19.
Yash has completed the circle of the fame game – from being cannon fodder for professional trolls to being considered better than two white-ball Indian internationals – Khaleel Ahmed and Arshdeep Singh – in terms of being a potent Test bowler.
And who wouldn’t agree that Test cricket is the real deal? T20 is still a delicious dessert, but Test cricket is the mouth-watering “mutton keema”, Yash’s favourite dish and which his family gorged on while celebrating his first selection in the national team.
But around 15 months ago, things were not the same. Forget about eating something as delicious as mutton keema, Yash’s mother Radha refused to eat food for days as she noticed her son staying quiet and depressed after that ‘Rinku Night’.
“Yash’s move saddened his mother Radha so much that she fell ill and even refused to eat food. Titans also released him as he had to rebuild his career.”
Chandrapal remembers everything as if it happened yesterday.
“Yash fell sick, but we never let him think of giving up. We made a pledge as a family. “Jab tak tum (Yash) India na khelange, chodenge nahi. India khel ke tum khel ke rahoge.” “I and my family kept motivating him to ensure that he never thought of giving up. And today, he is in front of you,” the pride in his voice was evident.
But as the saying goes tough times don’t last but tough people do, Chanderpaul had to give his son the example of Stuart Broad, who remained unfazed even after those six sixes and went on to complete 600 wickets in Test cricket.
“We explained to him that very night that this was not the first time this had happened and it wouldn’t be the last. Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes off Stuart Broad and Broad went on to become one of the greatest seam bowlers of all time.” Dayal’s story is now one of resilience and redemption, proving that a comeback is often stronger than any setback.
“There can be no greater happiness for a father than this. Representing the country in Test matches is the biggest dream for any cricketer. This is a big day for us, our family and our friends. All the credit goes to him. No matter how much effort I put in, it was his efforts that helped him reach this position today.”
“Yash has a God-given natural talent. I never had to teach him the nuances of cricket. My family and I have made him mentally strong,” You can afford to be a little lenient like a proud father. After all that he has been through in the last one year, today is his day.
In IPL 2024, Dayal played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and took 15 wickets in 14 matches, showcasing his growth and maturity as a bowler and leading them to the playoffs.
His ability to swing the ball and maintain control under pressure was on full display in the Duleep Trophy when the India B pacer took three wickets in India A’s second innings to guide his team to a 76-run win in Bengaluru.
His pace bowling in the opening season, which saw him take the wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, has underlined his readiness for higher challenges as the selectors might think of grooming the left-arm pacer keeping in mind the upcoming India-Australia Test series.
“I had an idea when India A were 76/4 in the second innings and Yash took three of the four wickets in the morning. I told my family, ‘He has staked his claim; now it is up to the selection committee.’ They saw his potential,” Chanderpaul said.
“Everybody takes wickets but quality is also considered. God will never disappoint us. We spoke briefly and he asked us to come to Chennai to watch the opening Test (against Bangladesh from September 19).” As of now, it will be difficult for him to make his debut as India usually play with three spinners at home, but if Mohammed Siraj is not fully fit, there remains a chance for Dayal to get a Test cap.
“He will have an advantage as a left-handed batsman because of the bounce in Chennai; the rest depends on the team think tank, we will definitely go there. And the second Test is in Kanpur, where our whole family will go,” said Chanderpaul, who has six elder brothers and a younger brother, all of whom live in Allahabad.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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