Yash Dayal set to return to competitive cricket more than a year after IPL 2025 final as fresh domestic move emerges

Yash Dayal is set to return to competitive cricket after more than a year away, with a move to Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 season taking shape.

Updated on: Jul 27, 2026, 08:09:20 IST

Written by Probuddha Bhattacharjee

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Yash Dayal is set to switch domestic teams ahead of the 2026-27 season, with the Uttar Pradesh fast bowler preparing to represent Chhattisgarh after spending more than a year away from mainstream competitive cricket.

Yash Dayal will be playing for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season (PTI)

Dayal's no-objection certificate (NOC) is currently being processed, and the left-arm pacer has already joined Chhattisgarh's pre-season camp in Alur, Karnataka. The move could offer Dayal a route back into domestic cricket following a turbulent period during which legal cases against him affected his availability across competitions. His last senior BCCI-recognised competitive appearance came in the IPL 2025 final, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings to win their maiden title.

Dayal subsequently faced allegations relating to sexual assault in two separate cases. He has denied the allegations. One case was registered in Ghaziabad after a woman accused him of sexually exploiting her during a relationship, after allegedly promising marriage. Another FIR was registered in Jaipur, where allegations involving a girl who was a minor when the alleged relationship began led to provisions of the POCSO Act being invoked.

The legal developments had consequences for Dayal's cricket career, with Uttar Pradesh keeping him out of the UP T20 League in 2025.

Dayal missed the entire IPL 2026 season

Despite the uncertainty surrounding him, RCB retained Dayal ahead of IPL 2026. However, he did not join the franchise and eventually missed the entire tournament. RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat said at the time that it "wasn't in Dayal's or RCB's best interests" for the pacer to be part of the squad because of his personal situation.

Dayal later indicated that his absence had not been his own decision, saying that opting out of the tournament was not a call he had personally taken. There appeared to be a path towards a comeback in June when Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association secretary Prem Manohar Gupta said the association would issue Dayal an NOC because his legal proceedings had been "settled".

Gorakhpur Lions subsequently retained Dayal for the 2026 edition of the UP T20 League, scheduled to begin in August, and he had started training alongside the franchise's other retained players. However, another twist followed when Dayal was left out of Gorakhpur's final 18-member squad announced after Friday's auction. UPCA declined to comment on the reason behind his exclusion.

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Dayal is understood to have anticipated the possibility of missing out and had already begun working towards a move to Chhattisgarh. Taking an NOC to represent another state in BCCI domestic competitions would not prevent Dayal from playing a franchise T20 league in Uttar Pradesh under the board's regulations.

Chhattisgarh's pre-season camp also features India off-spinner Jayant Yadav and experienced Saurashtra all-rounder Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Jayant represented Puducherry last season. Former India batter Amay Khurasiya has taken over as Chhattisgarh's head coach and is overseeing the camp in Alur. Khurasiya previously guided Kerala to the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy final, where they finished runners-up to Vidarbha.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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