Shame on you: RCB face backlash for retaining pacer Yash Dayal amid rape allegations
Fans have reacted strongly to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retaining Yash Dayal despite rape allegations against the pacer. Dayal was banned by UPCA earlier this year over multiple sexual harassment allegations.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been facing heavy backlash on social media for retaining left-arm pacer Yash Dayal for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 despite the cricketer facing multiple criminal cases. Dayal has been accused of rape and sexual assault in two separate cases, including one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
RCB revealed their final list of retained and released players on Saturday, November 15, along with the other nine IPL franchises. They retained Dayal, whom they bought for Rs 5 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction last year. The pacer from Uttar Pradesh was among the 17 players retained by the reigning IPL champions.
However, the 27-year-old's retention didn't go down well with fans, who bashed RCB for keeping hold of the pacer despite him facing serious rape allegations. His retention sparked a massive debate on social media, with many criticising RCB for undermining the gravity of the situation despite Dayal being booked under the stringent POSCO Act.
Fans slam RCB for retaining Yash Dayal amid rape allegations:
UPCA banned Yash Dayal after rape allegations
Dayal has not played competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final in on June 03 this year when RCB defeated Punjab Kings to win their maiden title. The pacer was banned by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) in August this year and was barred from participating in the UP T20 League, where he was set to represent the Gorakhpur Lions.
Dayal was bought by the franchise for Rs 7 lakh ahead of UP T20 League 2025, however, he was not allowed to play in the league owing to sexual harassment allegations against him. The left-arm pacer has also been barred from representing Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit.
Despite UPCA's ban, RCB retained Dayal and are yet to make an official statement regarding their decision, which has sparked criticism from all corners. The franchise have also not clarified whether they have communicated with the BCCI regarding the present status of the ongoing investigation against Dayal in the two cases.
Dayal is facing rape charges in two separate cases in Ghaziabad and Jaipur. The first FIR against the pacer was registered in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in July this year. He was booked under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after a woman accused the RCB pacer of sexual exploitation under the pretext of marriage.
A second FIR was launched against Dayal at the Sanganer Sadar police station in Jaipur after he was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor between 2023 and 2024. He was booked under the BNS and the POSCO Act. As per the complaint in Jaipur, Dayal came into contact with the victim when she was 17 during an IPL match in Jaipur.
He met her at a hotel under the guise of offering career advice and sexually assaulted the minor. The victim alleged that the incidents continued over the next year, while she was still a minor, invoking the POCSO Act.
While he was given protection from arrest in the Ghaziabad case after an order from the Allahabad High Court, the Rajasthan High Court has denied him anticipatory bail in the Jaipur case, considering the POCSO allegations. Threat of an impending arrest continues to loom over the RCB pacer, whose participation in IPL 2026 remains in doubt.