Defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have suffered a major blow ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with the team confirming that fast bowler Yash Dayal will miss the entire tournament due to personal reasons. Yash Dayal did not appear in RCB’s training sessions or on RCB’s posters, sparking rumors of his absence from IPL 2026. Now, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat has cleared all doubts about his absence. “So, I’m just confirming that Yash will not be joining the team. As you know, he is going through a personal situation at the moment and to clarify, we have been very supportive of Yash so far and that is reflected in retaining him when we have had the opportunity to retain or release players. We want to keep him, he is still under contract and will remain under contract in the short term,” Bobat told the media at a press conference on Tuesday. “We are in regular communication with him. I also spoke with him earlier today, but we have decided that it is not in his best interests, nor the best interests of the team, for him to join us at this time. He still retains our support and he remains under contract and we will continue to talk to him as he goes through his personal circumstances,” he added.
Yash Dayal represents RCB in IPL
Yash Dayal has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for two seasons (2024, 2025) and he took 28 wickets in 29 games. He was a key figure in RCB’s bowling attack, especially in helping the team reach the playoffs in 2024 and win their first IPL title in 2025. Dayal is RCB’s joint-highest wicket-taker in 2024 with 15 wickets. After conceding 5 sixes for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023, he earned the reputation of a ‘hand of death’ and RCB backed him and made him one of RCB’s dependable players. Dayal, who recently tied the knot with social media influencer Shweta Pundir in a primate ceremony, has been at the center of major controversy of late. A few months ago, he was denied bail for his involvement in the alleged rape of a minor. The controversy began in July 2025, when a lawsuit was filed against him, accusing him of exploiting women under the guise of marriage. Subsequently, a new case under the POSCO Act emerged in Jaipur.
 have been dealt a blow ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as the franchise confirmed .){kind=link}