RCB pacer Yash Dayal's comeback confirmed, retained by UPT20 franchise but yet to get NOC

Uttar Pradesh left-arm pacer Yash Dayal is set for his return to competitive cricket in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh T20 League (UPT20) 2026. Dayal As per a report by TOI, Dayal is one of three players (Aryan Juyal and Siddhartha Yadav) who have been retained by Gorakhpur Lions ahead of the mini-auction which is expected to take place in mid-July.

The English daily said that UPT20 League governing council chairman Sanjay Kapoor said that Dayal will be available for the tournament. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) secretary Prem Manohar Gupta said that No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the pacer will be issued.

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“UPCA will give an NOC to Yash Dayal for playing domestic and league cricket because all legal proceedings have been settled,” Gupta said.

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In the IPL 2025, Dayal was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden title-winning squad. He was retained by the franchise for Rs 5 crore despite allegations of sexual exploitation under the pretext of marriage in a case registered in Ghaziabad.

Dayal wasn’t allowed to play a single game for RCB in IPL 2026. In his absence, Rasikh Salam Dar played a vital role in RCB’s second consecutive IPL title win.

Dayal’s reaction to not playing in IPL 2026

Dayal had expressed that he was affected by not playing in the IPL 2026. But, he appreciated RCB for not removing him from the squad. However, he went on to say that it wasn't his personal decision to opt out of IPL 2026. He wondered if the team misses him as much as he misses them.

Dayal was in India squad in 2024 but didn’t make his debut

Earlier, Dayal had earned his maiden call-up for first Test of the series against Bangladesh in 2024. He was also in the T20I squad for the series against South Africa later that year. But, he did not get to make his deut for India. 

When did Dayal last play competitive cricket?

Dayal last played a first-class and List A match in 2024. His last T20 appearance was in the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings (PBKS) where he bagged Azmatullah Omarzai's wicket.