5 min readMumbaiApr 5, 2026 11:56 AM IST
First published on: Apr 5, 2026 at 12:24 AM IST
Deshpande’s yorkers seals the deal for RR as Bishnoi, Rashid and Rabada all have their say in season’s first thriller
Gujarat Titans looked dead and buried after Ravi Bishnoi’s four-wicket burst, only for Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada to claw them back to the brink. With 11 needed off the last over, Riyan Parag threw the ball to Tushar Deshpande — not the most celebrated name in death bowling — and he answered the ultimate T20 question: back your skill or fear the batsman’s? He backed his yorkers. It was enough.
Deshpande’s yorkers seal deal
In an interview with this newspaper, India pace legend Zaheer Khan talked about wide outside off yorkers, one of the deliveries T20 cricket has produced consistently over the last few years. “That’s good, but you can also bowl yorkers on stumps. If you possess a good yorker, and the batsman also has the ability to hit it for six if you miss — who are you going to back? Your skill or the batsman’s?”
An unlikely candidate answered that query in some style on a crackling Saturday in Ahmedabad. Tushar Deshpande, in the final over. Not Jasprit Bumrah, not a seasoned death bowler with a cupboard full of big-match memories. Deshpande, who has had his share of expensive evenings, who knows what it feels like when the ball doesn’t go where you tell it to. Who has been hit. Who has come back.
GT had looked out of the contest after Bishnoi hustled out four victims with his whippy sliders and googlies. Then Rashid and Rabada seized the game back. Both played in their characteristic way — Rashid as inventive as ever, Rabada as traditional as ever. Rashid went square, Rabada pinged the V. It came down to 11 from the final over.
RR had earlier ridden their openers and a fine 75 from Dhruv Jurel to reach 210 for 6. Gujarat had cruised to 100 through Sai Sudarshan’s marvellous hand, then Bishnoi struck. Now Rabada and Rashid had clawed it back. The way their stand had gone — so calmly, so rationally, one boundary away from completing the chase — one felt this was done. Parag had options. Nandre Burger was probably at the top of that list. He threw the ball to Deshpande.
Here is where Zaheer’s question floated in the air. No use bowling length — Rabada can get the ball thrown back from the boundary and Rashid can swat it square on either side. Slower balls were risky with only 11 needed and neither batsman showing any sign of nerves. So it was going to be yorkers. But which kind? Wide outside off was dangerous — Rabada has the height and the reach, Rashid has the flexible rubber wrists to slice and steer them. It was a question of nerve as much as skill.
Deshpande went for conventional yorkers — especially after he hurled the first one wide outside off and conceded a run. Without guts, no glory. Perhaps that’s why Parag gave him the ball.
Rashid tried to rush across towards off and bunt it to fine leg or slice it away briskly, but couldn’t connect as he wanted. Rabada tried to swing through the V, could only dig them out. It came down to 7 from 2, after a yorker screeched past Rashid’s flail through to the keeper.
Then Deshpande missed his length — a full ball outside off. But it was at least to the right batsman. Not Rabada. Rashid.
Rashid had his chance when the equation read 7 from 2. Rashid can make even the most adventurous street cricketer gasp. What makes it worth watching isn’t the power. It’s the economy. There is a slight crouch, a cocked wrist, and then the wrist does the work — the same wrist that does his bowling, only now in the other direction.
“One ball he missed the yorker, I should have hit for six,” Rashid would say. Instead he sliced it up to the right of sweeper cover. Jofra Archer rushed along the boundary line and lunged to take a neat grab under pressure — stood there, arms aloft, soaking up the applause, waiting for his teammates to mob him.
One more yorker on the final ball sealed it. And soon that lovely blissful expression settled on Deshpande, who kept walking here and there on the outfield, soaking in the moment.
Zaheer asked, Deshpande answered it.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals: 210/6 (Dhruv Jurel 75, Yashasvi Jaiswal 55, Kagiso Rabada 2/42) beat Gujarat Titans 204/8 (Sai Sudharsan 73, Ravi Bishnoi 4/41) by 6 runs
Tushar Deshpande of Rajasthan Royals celebrates the after winning the Match 9 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026 between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad , India, on April 4, 2026. (CREIMAS) 
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