RCB rules Yash Dayal out of IPL 2026 following allegations of sexual exploitation
PTC News Desk: Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat has confirmed that left-arm pacer Yash Dayal will not be part of the squad for the Indian Premier League 2026, despite still being contracted with the franchise.
The decision had earlier sparked controversy when RCB retained Dayal in their pre-auction list, leading to criticism. His absence from the team’s training sessions ahead of the new season further fueled speculation about his exclusion. It has now been clarified that he will miss the season due to a “personal situation.”
Speaking to reporters, Bobat said on Tuesday: "So, just to confirm that Yash will not be joining up with the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently, and just to clarify, we've been very supportive of Yash to date and that's reflected in the fact that we retained him when we had the opportunity to either retain or release players.
"We wanted to retain him, and he remains under contract and will continue in the short term to remain under contract," Bobat told the media during a press conference. "We are communicating with him regularly. I spoke to him earlier today as well, but it has been decided that it is not in his best interest or the franchise's best interest for him to join up with us at this point."
Dayal has been named in two separate criminal cases involving serious allegations. The first FIR was registered in July 2025 at the Indirapuram Police Station in Ghaziabad, where a woman accused him of physical and emotional exploitation under the false promise of marriage during a five-year relationship.
Soon after, a second case was filed in Jaipur under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. In this case, a minor alleged that Dayal sexually assaulted her multiple times since 2023, including an incident during the 2025 IPL season at a hotel, where he had reportedly promised to help her career.
- With inputs from agencies
