On 24 March, Mo Bobat confirmed that Yash Dayal would not be part of Royal Challengers Benguluru’s IPL 2026 squad. RCB’s director of cricket said that Bengaluru had been “very supportive of Yash so far”. Why is Yash Dayal not acting?
Yash Dayal has serious legal cases against him. He faces two separate cases. The first is a POCSO case filed in Jaipur by a minor. She claims to be an aspiring cricketer.
The plaintiff alleges that Dayal has been sexually assaulting her since 2023 while pretending to help her cricket career. A special court in Jaipur rejected Dayal’s anticipatory bail plea in December 2025.
Another case was registered in Ghaziabad in July 2025 where a woman accused him of sexual and financial exploitation. They claim their five-year relationship was based on a false promise of marriage. The Allahabad High Court granted him interim protection from arrest in the matter.
Then Yash Dayal approached the Rajasthan High Court. Later, on January 23, he was granted interim relief by single justice Ganesh Ram Meen.
Dayal denied all the allegations. His legal team described both cases as coordinated attempts to extort him. He has not played competitive cricket since the 2025 IPL final. He was also banned from the Uttar Pradesh T20 League.
Where is Yash Dayal?
Yash Dayal was absent from the pre-season camp of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He was not seen in the RCB squad.
Amid ongoing legal issues, the left-arm pacemaker married content creator Shweta Pundir on February 4.
Some media over the weekend cited his wife’s Instagram Stories. He was seen training alone at an unknown location.
Ahead of the official announcement on March 24, many RCB officials did not respond to The Times of India when contacted for an update on Dayal. The BCCI Center of Excellence approached the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) in September to review the pacemaker, the publication said. But officials were unable to make contact.
Meanwhile, Yash Dayal remains active on social media. He recently posted his fitness videos on Instagram.
A UPCA official told TOI that Dayal was not considered for selection due to pending legal cases. The official added that Dayal had changed his phone number. Even his childhood coach had no information about his current whereabouts, the official added.
Who is Yash Dayal’s replacement in RCB?
RCB retained Dayal for ₹5 crore ahead of IPL 2026. Despite confirming that he will not play this season, the franchise says it remains in regular contact with him. Bengaluru continues to offer support during the ongoing court proceedings.
With Dayal still under contract, Bengaluru cannot sign a replacement. This leaves a gap in their team.
His absence, combined with Josh Hazlewood’s injury, has put considerable pressure on their pace. They will now rely heavily on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam and Nuwan Thushara.
