Uttar Pradesh left-handed bowler Yash Dayal, 26, shared his dream of 100 Tests with fans and Indian National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir even before his debut in the longest format of the game.

September 8 was a big day for Yash Dayal as he got his call-up for the upcoming Bangladesh series. The left-handed player seemed to impress the selectors with his performances in domestic cricket. Hence, he was picked for the Test squad.

He has played 24 first-class matches and has taken 76 wickets at an average of 28.89, an economy of 2.98 and a strike rate of 58.0. The main reason behind his selection was India’s need for a left-handed player who is capable of delivering good performances when India visits Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Yash Dayal has been included in the Test squad for the first match against Bangladesh but is likely to miss out on the starting XI due to the presence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. However, if Bumrah is rested, there is a strong possibility that one of the two Dayal and Akash Deep will get a place in the starting XI in the second match.

Meanwhile, ahead of his India debut, Yash Dayal has expressed his desire to represent his country in 100 Test matches. In an interaction with News24, he said, “I want to play 100 Test matches for India.”

Yash Dayal played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 Indian Premier League after being released by Gujarat Titans following the assault of 5 sixes he faced at the hands of Rinku Singh.

Dayal did a great job for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024 and even helped his team qualify for the Eliminator by defending 17 runs against Chennai Super Kings in a crucial match.

Meanwhile, Yash Dayal has said that the backing he received from Royal Challengers Bengaluru was the reason behind his success in IPL 2024. He said:

“RCB has backed me and supported me a lot throughout the season, that’s why I performed well in this IPL.”

The image that has been created on social media of Bhaiya Virat Kohli is that of an aggressive man – Yash Dayal

Yash Dayal further unmasked the true face of his RCB teammate Virat Kohli for the world to see, saying that the modern-day batting great is portrayed as an aggressive personality, who doesn’t talk to anyone, but that is not the case at all. He said:

“The image that has been created on social media by Virat Kohli Bhaiya is that he is aggressive and doesn’t talk to anyone, but that is not right at all. When I came to RCB, he himself came to me, talked to me and supported me a lot throughout the season.”

The left-arm spinner said that Kohli gave him confidence by telling him to enjoy his game after joining RCB. He said:

“When I first came to RCB, Virat Kohli bhaiya told me before IPL 2024 started, ‘No matter how you perform, we will support you throughout the season, so just enjoy your game.’ And that helped me a lot throughout the season.”

Recalling the match against CSK, when he had to defend 17 runs, Yash Dayal said that Kohli calmed him down after MS Dhoni dispatched his first ball for the sixth over. He stated:

“Virat Kohli bhaiya came and told me, ‘If you give pace to Mahi Bhai, he will give you six, so don’t give him pace’ and he talked and calmed me down after the first six. After that, a chat with Virat bhaiya helped me at that time.”