On Thursday, April 13, the Gujarat Titans (GT) made a strategic decision to drop pacer Yash Dayal from their starting XI against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing IPL 2023 at the PCA Stadium in Punjab. This decision was made after Dayal failed to defend 29 runs in the last over against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home. The KKR's Rinku Singh smashed five consecutive sixes against the speedster, resulting in one of the best finishes in the tournament's history.
Interestingly, Yash Dayal didn't even find a place among the five substitutes for the newly implemented Impact player rule. This decision was made by the team's management, who were looking to shake things up after the disappointing loss to the KKR.
Hardik Pandya, who was back to lead the franchise after missing out on the last game, called the defeat against KKR 'one-in-a-million'. However, he remained tight-lipped when asked about the changes, stating that the details were still being worked out.
"Bowling first. Just looks like a good wicket, and from whatever I've seen it's good to chase. Was a one-in-a-million defeat. We are the kind of team that takes it with a smile. Played good cricket until that last over. It happens. It's a fresh game. We'll come out and smile, and throw some punches," Pandya said at the toss.
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The GT think tank received criticism from fans for their decision to exclude Yash Dayal from both the starting lineup and substitutes. The decision was met with disappointment and frustration from supporters who were hoping to see Dayal on the field.
Check out the reactions here:
Gujarat Titans' captain, Hardik Pandya, won the toss and chose to bowl against Punjab Kings. The Titans' lineup featured four overseas players, including Alzarri Joseph, Rashid Khan, David Miller, and Joshua Little.
On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan's PBKS team included Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, Mathew Short, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa as their four foreign players.
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