When Yash Dayal's Final Over Heroics Ended CSK's IPL 2024 Dream

Soumyajit Dutta

Yash Dayal [Source: @Kohlify21n/X]Yash Dayal [Source: @Kohlify21n/X]

It was a night soaked in déjà vu at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where history repeated itself in the most dramatic fashion. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, holding their nerve once again, edged past Chennai Super Kings by just two runs in a contest that swung wildly until the very last ball.

Set a towering target of 214, CSK launched a spirited chase led by a fearless 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, who played a stunning knock of 94 off 48 balls, peppered with nine boundaries and five sixes. 

He found solid support in Ravindra Jadeja too. But just like an old script playing out again, it all boiled down to Yash Dayal, MS Dhoni, and Ravindra Jadeja in the final over, just like last time. And once again, it was Dayal who kept his cool when the pressure peaked, sealing the win for Bengaluru and delivering another heartbreak to the men in yellow.

When Yash Dayal Denied Dhoni & Co. Their Dream Finish

Back in May 18, 2024, at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Yash Dayal stepped into the cauldron of pressure with RCB’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Chennai Super Kings, needing 16 off the final over, had the legendary MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease. 

For Dayal, it was a chance to rewrite his story, one that had been haunted by Rinku Singh’s five sixes in 2023. This time, the stakes were higher and the crowd louder.

The Night That Changed Everything For Dayal

The first ball of the 20th over was a full toss on Dhoni’s pads. The CSK skipper launched it 110 meters into the night sky, triggering flashbacks of Dayal’s nightmare against KKR. “I subconsciously went back to that place,” Dayal admitted later. 

But this was a different Yash—steadier, wiser, and battle-hardened. With 11 needed off five balls, he dug deep. A clever back-of-the-hand slower ball deceived Dhoni, whose top-edge swirled to deep square leg. The crowd erupted, but Dayal’s job wasn’t done.

Ice Cold Dayal Held To His Nerves

Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja, two seasoned finishers, now stood between RCB and glory. Dayal’s next four deliveries were masterclasses in composure, as CSK needed 11 runs off of it - slower balls landed on a dime, yielding just one run. 

As the final ball trickled to the keeper, RCB’s players erupted in delirium. Virat Kohli fought tears, Faf du Plessis sprinted wildly, and the stadium shook with chants of “RCB! RCB!” Dayal, once the scapegoat, stood tall—his 7-run over sealing CSK’s fate and scripting a redemption tale for the ages.

Ironically, Dayal wasn’t even slated to bowl the final over. “Lockie [Ferguson] was meant for the 19th. But when Faf and DK [Karthik] changed plans, I embraced the challenge,” Dayal revealed back in 2024.

From Rinku’s Punches to CSK’s Executioner

Less than two years earlier in 2023, Yash Dayal was a meme, a bowler etched into IPL folklore for conceding 31 runs to Rinku Singh. Critics questioned his mental strength, and Gujarat Titans released him. 

RCB’s faith in the quick, however, never wavered. Under the guidance of Andy Flower, Dayal refined his variations, honed his slower balls, and rebuilt his confidence. 

As Dhoni was denied a dream finish in 2024 and in 2025 as well, Dayal’s journey came full circle, from a shattered rookie to a cold-blooded finisher.