Can RCB sign replacement for Yash Dayal in IPL 2026 despite him being under contract?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Yash Dayal has opted out of IPL 2026 due to personal reasons.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a big blow ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 as pacer Yash Dayal is set to miss the tournament. The left-arm pacer has opted out of IPL 2026 due to personal reasons.
Dayal was a crucial member of RCB’s pace unit last season and played a key role in their journey to the title. The Rajat Patidar & Co. will also be short of pacer Josh Hazlewood in the initial phase.
The Australian pacer is recovering from hamstring and Achilles injuries and will need more time to be match-fit. In such a situation, Dayal’s exclusion from the team has proved to be a big blow for RCB.
After winning the title with RCB last year, Dayal was embroiled in a controversy. He was accused of sexual misconduct in two different cases. An FIR was filed against him in a case alleging sexual assault of a minor girl between 2023 and 2024.
A woman from Ghaziabad filed a separate case against him in July last year over sexual exploitation, mental harassment, and financial cheating under the pretext of marriage for five years. However, his legal team has denied both allegations, and the matter is under investigation.
The Rajasthan High Court granted him protection from arrest earlier in January 2026, which put a temporary stay on his arrest, but required him to appear before the investigating officer. Amid such troubles, Dayal has decided to skip IPL 2026.
Can anyone replace Yash Dayal at RCB?
Notably, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, has revealed that the franchise supports him amid such a personal situation.
However, they mutually decided that it would be better for Yash not to participate in the tournament for the time being. He also added that Dayal is still part of RCB’s contract. Hence, the franchise cannot name a replacement for him.
The 28-year-old pacer was picked by the franchise for INR 5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. Despite the controversy due to cases of sexual misconduct, he was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Why is Yash Dayal ruled out of the RCB squad in IPL 2026?
Yash has opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
Who is the captain of RCB?
Rajat Patidar is the captain of RCB.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.