India pacer Yash Dayal is set to begin a new chapter in his domestic career after deciding to leave Uttar Pradesh and join Chhattisgarh as a guest player for the 2026-27 domestic season.
The left-arm fast bowler, who has represented Uttar Pradesh for the past seven years, has reportedly applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA). While the request is still under consideration, Dayal is expected to feature for Chhattisgarh across all three major domestic tournaments-the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
According to News18 CricketNext, Chhattisgarh have identified Dayal as one of their three guest players for the upcoming season. Experienced campaigners Jayant Yadav and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja are also set to join the squad, with all three already attending a pre-season fitness camp in Alur, Karnataka, under newly appointed head coach Amay Khurasiya.
“The BCCI allows every association to induct up to three guest players every season. Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the CSCS selection committee picked Yash Dayal, along with Jayant Yadav and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, to add more firepower to the team,” a source within the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh told CricketNext.
The source added that while selection will depend on performances during the fitness camp, the experienced trio is expected to make the final squad without difficulty.
“Obviously, the selection of the players will be based on how they perform in the fitness camp. But as far as our three guest players-Dayal, Yadav and Jadeja-are concerned, there won’t be any problem given their experience,” the source said.
Among the three recruits, Dayal is the marquee signing. The pacer first rose to prominence during Gujarat Titans’ IPL-winning campaign in 2022 before enduring a difficult phase in 2023, when Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh famously struck five consecutive sixes off his bowling in a dramatic IPL finish.
The setback, however, proved to be only a temporary hurdle. After moving to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Dayal rebuilt his confidence with consistent performances in both domestic cricket and the IPL, eventually earning an India call-up and re-establishing himself among the country’s leading left-arm seamers.
Dayal had also been in the spotlight over allegations made against him under the POCSO Act, which made him to skip IPL 2026 while being in RCB contract. However, he has since been cleared of the POCSO allegations, though other aspects of the complaint remain under legal scrutiny. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
With Jayant Yadav adding international experience and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja bolstering the spin department, Chhattisgarh have significantly strengthened their squad ahead of the new domestic season. The state association is expected to announce its final squad by the second week of August as it looks to challenge strongly across all three formats.