Why is Yash Dayal not participating in IPL 2026? RCB pacer reveals real reason behind his absence
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
RCB retained Yash Dayal ahead of the IPL 2026.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have delivered a magnificent performance in the Indian Premier League 2026 so far. They topped the points table after the league stage and are set to clash with the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1.
RCB were short of their key pacer, Yash Dayal, in IPL 2026. Although the franchise retained him in the squad, he did not participate in the tournament. Notably, Dayal is involved in two separate cases of sexual exploitation.
As a result, he stayed away from the IPL 2026. At the start of the tournament, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat mentioned that Dayal has opted out of the season due to his ongoing personal issues. However, the franchise retained him in the squad and supported him in his tough phase.
“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,” Mo Bobat had said in a press conference.
Opting out of IPL 2026 not my personal decision: Yash Dayal
Speaking on the Talk with Manvendra podcast, the left-arm pacer revealed that opting out of IPL 2026 was not his personal decision but was taken by the franchise. He added that he doesn’t know the reason behind this decision.
“The other thing is that my opting out of this season wasn’t my personal decision. The statement could be controversial, but the decision is always made by the authority. I don’t know what was the reason behind RCB’s decision. I miss them a lot. I don’t know if the team misses me, the fans will say that,” Dayal said.
“Obviously, if you are sitting outside. When I watch them on television, sometimes I just get up. But then it is my team, and they haven’t removed me. They kept me on the retain list and didn’t get me a replacement. They probably think that I am an important part,” he added.
Last season, Dayal played a key role in RCB’s title-winning campaign. He clinched 13 wickets in 15 games at an economy of 9.59.
Why did Yash Dayal not play in IPL 2026?
RCB retained Yash Dayal in their squad. However, he did not play in the tournament due to his involvement in two cases of sexual exploitation.
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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.