Left-arm quick Yash Dayal, a key RCB bowler in the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons, has been sidelined for IPL 2026 amid ongoing rape and POCSO cases filed in Ghaziabad and Jaipur. The decision has sparked debate, with many fans insisting legal guilt must be established before ending his livelihood.
With the cricket season nearing, fans have been sitting on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting to watch their favourite players play. The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin from March 28 till May 31, 2026. Amid the ongoing excitement, the Director of Cricket of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mo Bobat, has confirmed that left-arm bowler Yash Dayal will not be playing this season amid allegations of sexual harassment against him.
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According to reports, Dayal still remains under contract with RCB but has been refrained from playing in the 2026 IPL. A news article by South First on RCB supporting Yash Dayal has received widespread criticism on X, with several users stating “innocent until proven guilty.” Bobat told reporters on March 24, 2026, “As you know, he is currently going through a personal situation, and just to clarify, we have been very supportive of Yash to date.”
The controversy surrounding RCB’s fast bowler Yash Dayal gained public attention when a woman filed a rape complaint against him. The woman claimed that Dayal allegedly exploited her sexually and stated that they were in a relationship for around five years.
The Week reported that the complainant submitted evidence such as chat screenshots, video calls, and pictures. She further alleged that she had been mentally and physically exploited by the cricketer under the pretext of marriage. The woman filed a police case at the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad. The arrest of the accused was later stopped by the Allahabad High Court.
Right after Dayal’s brush with his first FIR, his name was mentioned in another FIR involving a minor in 2023. The complaint stated that Dayal had sexually assaulted a 17 year old minor in 2023. As per a Times of India report, Dayal allegedly assaulted the victim again in 2025 at a hotel in Jaipur.
Anil Kumar, the SHO of Sanganer Sadar police station confirmed Dayal’s identity and registered the FIR under section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section 64 of the BNS prescribes a minimum prison term of 10 years, along with other sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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Dayal is a prominent Indian fast bowler who played for RCB in the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons. He was bought by RCB for a whopping bid of ₹5 crore in 2024. In the same year, he was among the top wicket-takers for RCB, with 15 wickets. Amid the recent controversy, he tied the knot with social media influencer Shwetha Pundir on February 4, 2026.
Several users defended the cricketer following the announcement that he will not be playing this season. One user wrote on X, reacting to a South First article seeking an internal RCB inquiry: “So just because someone has a case registered against them, they should be stripped of their livelihood? Has he been proven guilty? How can a cricket team conduct an internal probe on a matter that is pending investigation? It is a personal situation—what else is it? Is it a professional situation?”
Many users on X defended Dayal, stating that “he is accused, not convicted.”
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