RCB provide major update on Yash Dayal's availability for IPL 2026; Know here

Yash Dayal was retained by RCB for IPL 2026.

Indian Premier League 2026 is set to start on March 28, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening game at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB are the defending champions of the tournament and will aim to clinch their second consecutive trophy.

Rajat Patidar is set to lead RCB once again after leading the team to their maiden title last season. So far, BCCI has only announced the schedule for the first 20 games of IPL 2026.

After the tournament opener against SRH, RCB will clash with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5, Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 10, and Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 12. RCB’s biggest worry is Josh Hazlewood’s availability.

The Australian pacer has been recovering from a hamstring and Achilles injury for the past few months and is going to miss the initial phase of the tournament. Now, the defending champions have suffered another big blow as another star pacer will not play in the tournament.

Yash Dayal to miss IPL 2026

Notably, left-arm pacer Yash Dayal is set to miss IPL 2026 due to personal reasons. On Tuesday, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, confirmed the news.

“He’s going through a personal situation. He remains under contract,” Bobat said.

Dayal was a crucial member of the RCB’s pace unit last season. In 15 games, he clinched 13 scalps at an average of 36.15 and an economy of 9.59. After the tournament, the RCB pacer was caught in a controversy due to charges of sexual misconduct in two separate cases.

Last year, an FIR was filed against him alleging sexual assault of a minor girl between 2023 and 2024. In another incident, a woman from Ghaziabad filed a 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 the charges and the investigation in the matter is underway. The Rajasthan High Court granted him protection from arrest in January 2026, which put a temporary stay on his arrest. However, he is required to appear before the investigating officer.

Last month, Dayal got married to social media influencer and vlogger Shweta Pundir. Their wedding took place on February 4 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

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