Watch: Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag unleashed an incredible low-arm release while bowling against Punjab Kings during their IPL 2021 game, right before he dismissed Chris Gayle for his first wicket of the season.

Parag, known more for his middle-order cameos in the IPL, generally bowls occasional leg-breaks and was summoned by captain Sanju Samson as the seventh RR bowler, immediately encountering a red-hot Chris Gayle. After bowling the first two deliveries with his usual action, Parag, to everyone’s surprise, switched to a low-arm action, sending down a slinging delivery to Gayle off the third ball.

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In the past, India’s Kedar Jadhav and Manoj Tiwary have tried out similar actions, but it is unlikely that any of their deliveries were sent down from as low an angle. Gayle managed to dab the ball for a single, and came back on strike off the next delivery, but Parag’s bowling contributions didn’t end there.

Off the fifth ball, he sent down a faster off-break towards Gayle, who had raced to 40 off just 27 balls before that. Gayle, trying to loft the ball over the long-on fence, couldn’t get a proper hold of the stroke, and ended up splicing it to Ben Stokes on the boundary, who dived forwards to complete a well-taken catch.

Whatever the reasoning behind the dismissal, Parag’s unique gamble paid off eventually.

Watch Parag’s unique delivery style here:

He dismissed Gayle for his third IPL wicket soon after: