‘Kids would scream, Rinku Singh’: Yash’s father recalls 5 sixes ‘hadsa’

NEW DELHI: For nearly a year, Chanderpal Dayal avoided going out in the afternoon near his home in Allahabad as children on school buses would tease him about his son, Yash, who had faced a difficult time after Rinku Singh hit him for five sixes in an IPL match.
The incident left a deep impact on Yash and his family, reminding them of the fateful evening in Ahmedabad when Rinku Singh smashing the left-arm pacer for five straight sixes in the final over of an IPL clash between Gujarat Titans and KKR.
Chanderpal, a retired officer, recalled how painful it was to hear children call out, “Rinku Singh, Rinku Singh, five sixes.”
However, the Dayal family’s resilience paid off as Yash received his first Test call-up for the match against Bangladesh in Chennai, starting on September 19.
“Humare liye woh ek hadsa tha (It was like an accident for us),” Chanderpal, a retired officer with Accountant General’s Office in Allahabad’s voice choked while recalling those days in 2023.
“The school bus would pass by, and kids would scream, ‘Rinku Singh, Rinku Singh, five sixes.’ It was so painful — why did this have to happen to my son?” Chanderpal told news agency PTI.
The five sixes marked a significant turnaround for Yash, who had previously been released by his IPL team and went through a difficult period.
“His mother Radha was so distraught that she fell ill and refused to eat as Yash went into a shell. Titans also released him as he had to rebuild his career,” Chanderpal remembers everything as if its yesterday.
“Yash fell ill, but we never let him think about giving up. We, as a family, made a pledge. ” Jab tak tum (Yash) India nahin khelenge, chodenge nahin. India khelke tum khelke rahoge (We won’t stop until you play for India. You will play for India).”
“Me and my family would keep motivating him to ensure that he never thinks of giving up. And today, he’s in front of you,” pride was palpable in his voice.
Yash’s journey of recovery involved mental support from his family. His father drew inspiration from Stuart Broad, who recovered from being hit for six sixes by Yuvraj Singh to become a successful bowler. Chanderpal shared,
“We explained to him that very night that it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, and it won’t be the last. Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six sixes, 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 comebacks often speak louder than any setback.
“It can’t get bigger than this for a father. For any cricketer, representing the country in Tests is the ultimate dream. It’s a huge day for us, for our family, and for our friends. The entire credit goes to him. No matter how hard I would have tried, it was his efforts that got him where he has reached today.”
“Yash is a God-gifted natural talent. I never had to teach him the nuances of cricket. My family and I just made him mentally stronger,” you could allow a bit of indulgence from a proud father. Today is his day after all that he went through in last one year.
In IPL 2024, Yash played for Royal Challengers Bangalore, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches. His performance in the Duleep Trophy further demonstrated his readiness for higher challenges, with notable wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel.
“I had the hunch when India A were 76/4 in the second innings, and Yash had taken three of the four wickets that morning. I told my family, ‘He has made his claim; now it’s up to the selection committee.’ They saw his potential,” said Chandarpal.
“Wickets are taken by everyone, but quality is also considered. God will never let us down. We spoke briefly and he told us to come to Chennai to watch the opening Test (vs Bangladesh from September 19).”
As of now, it would be difficult to make his debut as India normally plays three spinners at home but if Mohammed Siraj doesn’t get fully fit, there remains a chance for Dayal to get a Test cap.
“With bounce on offer in Chennai He has an advantage as a left-hander; the rest is up to the team think tank, we will go there for sure. And the second Test is Kanpur where all of our family will go,” added Chandarpal, who has six elder brothers and one younger, all of them settled in Allahabad.