IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal has sparked a fresh controversy after openly contradicting the franchise’s official statement regarding his absence from the ongoing IPL 2026 season. “It was the executive call of the team management to keep me out of the field,” Dayal, who is out on bail with several serious criminal cases of sexual harassment and exploitation pending against him, said, dismissing claims that he himself had opted out of the team.
RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat had told the media during a pre-tournament interaction in March that Dayal would miss the campaign due to a “personal situation”, adding that the resolution was in the best interest of both parties. However, the 29-year-old seamer specifically debunked that narrative on the Talk With Manvendra Podcast.
“They haven’t removed me from the team, and they haven’t even announced a replacement because maybe they still see me as part of the squad,” Dayal stated. “It wasn’t my personal decision to opt out of this season. The statement may become controversial, but decisions are always taken by the authorities… I miss it a lot and feel like I should be there.”
Ongoing Legal Battles and Franchise Backlash
Dayal’s continued association with the franchise has been a regular target of public criticism. The bowler is now the subject of two separate, high-profile criminal investigations in two states. An FIR was registered against him in Ghaziabad in 2025 for physically exploiting a woman under the false promise of marriage. On a more serious note, another case registered in Jaipur pertains to allegations of sexual assault involving a minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Although the bowler has been granted interim relief from arrest by the Allahabad and Rajasthan High Courts, he could not feature in the domestic UP T20 League last year due to the gravity of the legal proceedings.
However, RCB decided to retain Dayal for a whopping ₹5 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, banking on his form from their historic IPL 2025 title-winning campaign. The franchise quietly removed Dayal from their promotional material and team bus graphics, but kept him under active financial contract without naming a replacement player.
Yash Dayal In Contact With Mo Bobat, Dinesh Karthik
Meanwhile, Dayal said that his physical absence has not separated him from the team’s hierarchy in terms of operations. He said he remains in regular touch with the senior leadership and spoke especially about his relationship with team-mate and batting coach Dinesh Karthik.
“There is communication with the management. Sometimes they call me, sometimes I call them. I speak with the director [Mo Bobat], and I also stay in touch with DK [Dinesh Karthik] bhaiya,” Dayal added.
Dayal’s revealing comments mean that RCB’s off-field ethical dilemmas will stay under a sharp lens even as they sit pretty at the top of the league table, going into Tuesday’s high-stakes Qualifier 1.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
