Okay, settle in cricket lovers, because this tea is scalding hot and RCB just served it themselves.

While the rest of us were busy debating IPL squads and Virat's form, Royal Challengers Bengaluru — yes, the defending champions — quietly decided to keep backing their pacer Yash Dayal, who is currently facing not one but TWO separate FIRs for alleged sexual exploitation, rape, and assault on a minor. A 17-year-old. Under POCSO. Yes, that POCSO.

"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 have been very supportive of Yash to date, and that is reflected in the opportunity to either retain or release players."

Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket, RCB

A. Personal. Situation. That's what RCB is calling it. Two FIRs. One POCSO case. And the franchise's official position is basically: "We're supportive, babes." The audacity is truly sending us.

So What Actually Happened?

Just one month after RCB's high-voltage IPL win, the celebrations turned very sour. In July 2025, a woman filed an FIR against Dayal at Indirapuram police station, claiming she had been in a relationship with him for five years. Her allegations? Financial exploitation, mental abuse, physical harassment — all under the false promise of marriage. She had receipts too — WhatsApp chats, video calls, pictures. The full masala platter.

The case was filed under BNS Section 69 — sexual intercourse by deceitful means — a non-bailable offence that can land someone in jail for up to 10 years. Not exactly a "personal situation" energy, but okay RCB.

And then — just when you thought it couldn't get worse — Jaipur police filed a second FIR, this time involving a minor. The complainant was just 17 when the alleged assault first happened in 2023. She claims Dayal contacted her again in April 2025 during IPL season, called her to his hotel, and allegedly raped her again. She says he had promised to help her career. She trusted him. We can't even.

The Plot Thickens

To be fair — because we're not a kangaroo court — Dayal has denied everything. His lawyers claim the two complainants are in collusion and running an extortion racket against him. The Allahabad High Court also stayed his arrest in the first case, noting that a person "cannot be fooled for five years" in a relationship. So legally, it's all still in play.

But here's what's got cricket Twitter absolutely unhinged: RCB knew all of this in November 2025 — and still retained him. Then had the brass to publicly say they've been "very supportive." Not silently supportive. Loudly, publicly, on-the-record supportive.

Two FIRs POCSO charges Retained in November Twitter Fuming

What Happens Next?

Dayal is currently not with the squad — so he won't be playing while the legal proceedings are ongoing. But the bigger question hanging over RCB and the BCCI is this: at what point do cricket institutions acknowledge that allegations of this severity deserve more than a press conference shrug?

The IPL has rules. The BCCI has a code of conduct. Women's rights groups are watching. And fans — even die-hard RCB fans — are asking uncomfortable questions about what exactly "supporting a player" means when POCSO is in the mix.

The pitch hasn't even been fully rolled out for this IPL season and we already have the most controversial story of the year. Watch this space — because something tells us this "personal situation" is about to become very, very public.