Yash Dayal (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as the franchise confirmed that fast bowler Yash Dayal will miss the entire tournament due to personal reasons. Yash Dayal was not seen in the RCB training sessions and also in the RCB poster which sparked rumors of his absence for IPL 2026. Now RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat has cleared all doubts about his absence.
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IPL 2026: RCB confirm their home venue for the upcoming edition “So just to confirm that Yash will not be joining the team. As you know, he is going through a personal situation at the moment and just to clarify, we have been very supportive of Yash to date and that is reflected in the fact that we kept him when we had the opportunity to either keep or release a player. We wanted to keep him and he remains under contract and will continue in Tuesday’s press conference,” Bobat told the media on Tuesday. “We are in regular communication with him. I also spoke to him earlier today but it was decided that it was not in his best interest or the best interest of the franchise for him to join us at this time. He retains our support and remains under contract and we will continue to speak with him as he works through his personal situation,” he added.Earlier, TimesofIndia.com reached out to several RCB officials for an update on Dayal, but they did not respond. It is learned that the BCCI Center of Excellence had contacted the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) last September to inspect the bowler, but the officials could not make contact with him.“The case was against him, so his selection was not considered. I remember there was a phone call from the CoE in September checking on him, but we couldn’t make any contact with Yash Dayal. He even changed his number. Even his childhood coach doesn’t know his whereabouts,” a UPCA official told TimesofIndia.com.
Yash Dayal for RCB in IPL
Yash Dayal played two seasons (2024, 2025) with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), scoring 28 wickets in 29 matches. He was a key figure in RCB’s bowling attack, notably helping the team reach the play-offs in 2024 and securing their first-ever IPL title in 2025. Dayal was RCB’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 2024. He built a reputation as a mortal over baller after hitting 5 sixes for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023, RCB backed him and made him one of the reliable ones for RCB. Dayal, who recently tied the knot with social media influencer Shweta Pundir in a private ceremony, has been at the center of major controversies of late. A few months ago, he was denied anticipatory bail after he was involved in a case where he allegedly raped a minor. The controversy began in July 2025 when a case was filed against him for allegedly exploiting a woman under the guise of marriage. Later, a new case under the POSCO Act came up in Jaipur.
