IPL 2026: Did RCB Remove Yash Dayal from the Squad? Absence at Team Camp Sparks Speculations

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have started their IPL 2026 training camp, but key pacer Yash Dayal is conspicuously absent. Dayal is facing serious legal trouble, including a rape case under the POCSO Act, leading to uncertainty about his participation and fueling rumours of his removal from the squad.

The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), have begun their pre-season training session ahead of their IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.

For the first time in 19 seasons, the RCB will enter the tournament as the defending champions, keeping a close eye on the squad balance. Except for Josh Hazlewood, who will miss the first matches of the IPL 2026, all players have assembled at the team’s home ground and had their first training session on March 18, officially kick-starting their preparations for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title defence quest.

The likes of skipper Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Devdutt Paddikal, Jitesh Sharma, and others had an intense nets session, gearing up for the IPL 2026 opener against 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.

Yash Dayal Missing from RCB’s Training Camp

As every player, except Josh Hazlewood, has assembled at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the pre-season training camp. However, one player was notably absent from the pre-season camp — fast bowler Yash Dayal, raising questions about his availability for IPL 2026.

Dayal was retained for 5 crore by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the upcoming IPL season. However, things have gone sideways off the field, as Yash Dayal has landed in legal trouble after being booked in a rape case with an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Jaipur.

The Uttar Pradesh pacer has been named in two separate FIRs based on the complaints filed by two different victims, who accused Dayal of rape and sexual exploitation. One case is in Ghaziabad, where a woman accused him of “exploiting” her on the pretext of marriage and a second FIR was later lodged in Jaipur, alleging he repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor in 2023 and again in April 2025, leading to police investigations under both the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.

Due to the ongoing case of rape and exploitation. Yash Dayal was removed by the Uttar Pradesh State Cricket Association (UPCA), prohibiting him from participating in the last season of the UP T20 League and the recently concluded Indian domestic cricket season.

Therefore, Yash Dayal’s participation in the IPL 2026 has been thrown into uncertainty, as the RCB are yet to issue an official statement.

Did RCB Remove Yash Dayal from the Squad?

Yash Dayal’s absence from the team training has sparked discussions about whether the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have quietly removed him from the squad rather than issuing an official statement, due to the ongoing controversy around the UP pacer. However, another hint suggested that Dayal wouldn’t be part of the IPL 2026.

A user on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that Dayal’s picture was missing from the squad’s poster on the bus. Since every member of the squad, including Josh Hazlewood, was featured on the bus except Dayal, fans speculated that the pacer might have been excluded from the team, fueling rumours about his potential removal from the IPL 2026 squad.

Despite the serious allegations of rape and sexual exploitation, Royal Challengers Bengaluru didn’t officially remove Yash Dayal from the squad, and his name still appears on the official IPL 2026 player list. Mangesh Yadav, a young pacer from Madhya Pradesh, was acquired for INR 5.2 crore as a backup option should Yash Dayal be deemed unavailable for the season.

Yash Dayal has been part of RCB since 2024 and has picked 28 wickets at an average of 33.17 and an economy rate of 9.36 in 29 matches. He played a pivotal role in the team’s maiden IPL triumph last season.