New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has started preparations for the Indian Premier League 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. While some of India’s top stars are Virat Kohliwere all present, with bowler Yash Dayal remaining a notable absentee. He was not found with the group on March 18, the first day of camp, and has been missing in action.
Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma, Suyash Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are some of the celebrities who are preparing for their title defense under the leadership of the coaching staff. Andy FlowerBut Dayal’s mysterious absence has raised eyebrows.Pictures of the RCB team bus are circulating on social media, but Dayal is not seen in these pictures either. Additionally, multiple social media posts from the team made no mention of the bowler.In a video uploaded by his wife Shweta Pundir on Instagram, Dayal can be seen taking the fall from the side-arm specialist but he seems to be staying away from the action in Bengaluru.
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TimesofIndia.com contacted several RCB officials for an update on Dayal’s situation, but they are yet to respond. The team retained the cricketer for Rs 5 crore ahead of the mini-auction held in Jeddah last year but faced a backlash due to the legal proceedings against the cricketer at the time.Dayal last played a competitive match in June 2025 when he represented RCB in the IPL final against Kings XI Punjab. The bowler has retired from cricket since then. Uttar Pradesh did not consider him throughout the domestic season. It is understood that the BCCI Center of Excellence had contacted the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) in September last year to check on the bowler’s condition, but officials failed to get in touch with him. A UPCA official told TimesofIndia.com: “The case was against him, so he was not considered for selection. I remember a call from the CoE in September to inquire about him, but we could not establish any contact with Yash Dayal. He had even changed his phone number. Even his childhood coach did not know his whereabouts.” It remains to be seen whether he will represent RCB in this year’s IPL.
