Uttar Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Yash Dayal is set to return to cricketing action in the upcoming UP T20 League 2026, after being out of competitive cricket for over a year. Due to ongoing legal issues, Dayal has not participated in the sport since his final IPL match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025.
In addition to one charge filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, the 27-year-old pacer was accused of sexual exploitation. He has apparently been exonerated of all accusations, nevertheless.
Dayal will receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board to participate in domestic and league cricket, according to Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) secretary Prem Manohar Gupta.
"UPCA will give an NOC to Yash Dayal for playing domestic and league cricket because all legal proceedings have been settled," Gupta told The Times of India.
Dayal has been retained by his team, the Gorakhpur Lions, and is scheduled to compete in the event, according to UPT20 League governing council chairman Sanjay Kapoor.
"We will conduct the UPT20 League mini-auction in mid-July. We are looking at holding it in new cities such as Agra and Noida. We want to promote the league on a larger scale, which is why we are considering these venues. If hotel arrangements are not feasible in Agra or Noida, Lucknow will remain our venue for the mini-auction," said Kapoor.
In accordance with Section 69 (Sexual intercourse by adopting fraudulent means etc.) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the first FIR against Dayal was filed on July 6 at the Indirapuram police station in the Ghaziabad district. Dayal has been charged with sexually abusing a woman under the guise of marriage.
In reference to the second case, NDTV obtained the FIR report that was filed against Dayal at the Sanganer Police Station in Jaipur for allegedly raping a female over two years while emotionally blackmailing her.
According to the investigation, Dayal brought her to a hotel in Sitapura, where the first sexual assault occurred, and enticed her with promises of a cricket career. The girl was 17 when the abuse began, prompting the police to register the case under the POCSO Act.
