LUCKNOW, Aug. 14 -- Young pacer Yash Dayal, who's facing charges of sexually harassing multiple women and raping a minor, has withdrawn from the third edition of the UPTwenty20 League, which starts Sunday at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here. Dayal, 27, who played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 title win, has informed the League organising committee and his franchise Gorakhpur Lions about his non-participation in the event due to personal reasons. "Dayal has submitted his withdrawal from the event in writing." UPT20 League chairman and former DGP DS Chauhan said on Wednesday. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association's media head Sanjay Kapoor too confirmed that UPCA hadn't banned Dayal from participation. "There is no such ban order from UPCA on Dayal," Kapoor said. Kapoor's comment came amid reports of UPCA banning the cricketer from the League in the wake of the criminal case against him in Jaipur. Chauhan added UPCA, in no capacity, could ban a player or deny him from participation. "There have indeed been criminal charges against the bowler, but under no circumstances can the organising committee impose a ban on him unless he is convicted. The power to ban a player is strictly with the Board of Control for Cricket in India," said Chauhan. "The organising committee has allowed Gorakhpur Lions to find a replacement after the franchise raised a demand for the same. Probably, he (Dayal) is underground and not traceable," said Chauhan. Earlier this month, the Rajasthan high court declined to grant interim protection to Dayal from arrest in the rape case, it is learnt. The single bench of Justice Sudesh Bansal observed that since the case concerned a minor, judicial intervention at this stage would be inappropriate, while directing police to submit the case diary by the next hearing on August 22. Dayal had approached the court through a criminal petition seeking anticipatory bail. His counsel, advocate Kunal Jaiman, alleged that the cricketer was being targeted by an extortion racket, citing a similar FIR in Ghaziabad that was stayed by the Allahabad high court, which was followed by the complaint by the minor in Jaipur. Sanganer police station SHO Anil Jaiman said the Jaipur-based complainant, now 19, had known Dayal for two years after meeting him through cricket circles. Investigators claimed Dayal exploited his position as a professional cricketer, initially promising career assistance before allegedly raping her. The SHO was further quoted as saying that during the 2025 IPL season, when Dayal was in Jaipur, he called the young woman to a hotel in Sitapura, where he allegedly assaulted her again. Since the first incident occurred when the girl was a minor, provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were invoked, he added. Dayal has played for two teams - Gujarat Titans and RCB - in the IPL and dismissed 41 batters in 43 matches. He won the IPL title with GT in 2022 under Hardik Pandya's leadership, and in that season, he picked up 11 wickets in nine matches. In 2023, he was hit for five sixes by KKR batter Rinku Singh in the last five balls of the match. Both Yash and his father and former Vizzy Trophy cricketer Chandrapal Dayal were unavailable for comment despite repeated efforts to reach them on their phones....