IPL 2026| Pacer Dayal to miss the season

Bengaluru: In a massive jolt to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, pacer Yash Dayal, in the middle of a legal wrangle, will be out of action this entire season. This, along with uncertainty over their spearhead Josh Hazlewood’s return, is a major setback as they seek to defend their title.  

Dayal, who bagged 13 wickets last season and has been an integral member of the pace pack along with Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has not played any competitive cricket since the Royal Challengers lifted the IPL crown for the first time last June.

The 28-year-old southpaw from Uttar Pradesh has been accused of sexual exploitation by two women, with one of them being a minor teenager. A FIR under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) was filed by Jaipur police last July against Dayal in this case. The other FIR was filed, also last July, at the Allahabad High Court. Dayal is currently out on bail and married popular content creator and digital influencer Shweta Pundir in February.

RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat, addressing the media here ahead of the season-opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, said the franchise has decided to stand by Dayal and will not be seeking a replacement. “Yash won’t be joining the squad right now as he’s dealing with some personal matters. He’s still very much part of the franchise and we’re in regular touch with him, but at this point, we feel it’s best to give him the space he needs.

“It’s been something we’ve been aware of for a while, so we did go into the auction prepared for different scenarios, with options like Rasikh (Dar) and Mangesh (Yadav) in mind. Naturally, it’s a setback, but not something we’re unprepared for,” added Bobat, saying the franchise will be paying Dayal his full salary of Rs 5 crore.

On Hazlewood, RCB’s ace bowler last season with 22 scalps who is now recovering from a hamstring strain and Achilles tendon, Bobat said they are hopeful of the Australian linking up with the squad at the earliest.

“So he's currently working through the Return to Play programme. He's doing that in Australia currently. We are liaising very closely with both Josh and Cricket Australia. And our medical teams are collaborating very strongly on a day-to-day basis on his programme. We'll continue to communicate with him. And as soon as he gets to a point where Cricket Australia are happy, he'll come over. And we hope to have him with us very soon." 

Although RCB will be without two of their key bowlers, with one likely to miss at least the opening half, Bobat was confident about the likes of Dar and Mangesh stepping up. “In terms of squad depth, we’ve kept our options open. Mangesh Yadav is a strong option if we go down the domestic replacement route, and players like Abhinandan (Singh) and Rasikh are also in the mix. It’s about making the right call at the right time.”

For the first time Royal Challengers will enter a season under a different kind of pressure. For 18 seasons they were chasing the elusive crown but now, for the first time, start as champions. Bobat, one of the key men in RCB’s turnaround with plenty of good work behind the scenes, felt the franchise is hoping to use 2025 as a springboard for more glory.

“That title win meant a lot. Franchise cricket moves quickly, but when you’ve been chasing something for 17 years, it carries weight. Looking back, last season was incredible, even if it ended quite abruptly, which meant there wasn’t much time to celebrate. It’s been nice for the group to come back together, reconnect, and reflect on those moments, especially here in Bengaluru with the fans.

“You can feel the shift now. The conversation has moved from when will we win to are we ready to win again, and that says a lot about the confidence in the group. But with a new season comes a fresh challenge. We have a lot of respect for every team, and right now, all our focus is on the first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.”