Yash Dayal has remained strangely absent from the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League! The 28-year-old was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's squad for this season.
But the left-arm pacer hasn't been spotted anywhere near the team. When the team's director of cricket Mo Bobat was asked about Dayal's absence, he said that Dayal would not play this year due to a "personal situation".
The bowler has now presented his version of the story. Appearing on the Talk with Manvendra podcast, Dayal, who has also represented Gujarat Titans, has said that he misses being in the team. However, the decision to not play this year wasn't his.
"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," Dayal said.
"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 authorities. 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," he added.
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Dayal played two seasons for Gujarat Titans before RCB signed him in 2024. At RCB Dayal played 29 matches across 2024 and 2025 season and picked 28 wickets. The bowler has said that he is in constant communication with the RCB team management including team mentor Dinesh Karthik.
"I have been in conversations with the management. I have spoken to the director, and with the coach too, and also Dinesh Karthik. We communicate in intervals, and the connection hasn't broken. There is no communication gap. Everything is clear and sorted," he added.
Dayal remains unavailable for competitive cricket due to ongoing legal proceedings involving two separate cases.
The first FIR against him was filed on July 6 at the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad. The complaint was registered under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Dayal has been accused of sexually exploiting a woman by allegedly making false promises of marriage.
In a separate case, an FIR was registered against Dayal at Jaipur's Sanganer Police Station under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to the FIR accessed by NDTV, the cricketer has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor over a two-year period while allegedly emotionally manipulating her.
The complaint states that Dayal promised to help the girl build a cricket career and allegedly invited her to a hotel in Sitapura, where the first incident of assault reportedly occurred. The girl was 17 years old when the alleged abuse began, leading authorities to invoke provisions of the POCSO Act.
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