Dayal claimed the decision was enforced by authorities and that he misses the RCB dressing room.
Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal has publicly stated that his absence from Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2026 campaign was not his personal choice, contradicting the explanation earlier offered by the teams Director of Cricket Mo Bobat.
Speaking on the Talk with Manvendra podcast, Dayal revealed the decision was enforced by authorities and that he misses the dressing room.
Dayal, who played a crucial role in RCB’s maiden IPL title win last season, noted that the franchise has not released him or named a replacement, which makes him believe he remains highly valued in their plans.
"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 authority. I don't know what was the reason was 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.
Ahead of the season, Bobat said Dayal was dealing with a personal matter, confirming that he would miss the tournament but emphasized he was still under contract and retained the franchise's support.
"So, just to confirm that Yash will not be joining up with the squad. As you know, he is going through a personal situation currently, and just to clarify, we've been very supportive of Yash to date and that's reflected in the fact that we retained him when we had the opportunity to either retain or release players.
"We wanted to retain him, and he remains under contract and will continue in the short term to remain under contract," Bobat told the media during a press conference.
Despite missing the tournament, Dayal claimed that he remains in regular contact with the franchise's management and coaching staff.
"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," Dayal said.
Yash Dayal is facing severe legal scrutiny in two separate sexual exploitation cases in Jaipur and Ghaziabad.
One of the complaints, registered under the POCSO Act in Jaipur, alleges that Dayal sexually exploited a minor over a prolonged period while promising to help her build a cricket career. She also accused him of emotional manipulation, coercion, and intimidation.
In a separate FIR filed in Ghaziabad, Dayal was accused of sexual exploitation on the pretext of marriage.
On December 24, 2025, a special POCSO court rejected Dayal's anticipatory bail plea, noting the seriousness of the charges and the need for caution in cases involving minors.
While Yash Dayal’s legal team has denied the allegations and termed the relationship consensual, prosecutors argued that consent is irrelevant in cases involving minors and said prima facie evidence supports the complaint.