He went unsold in the IPL 2025.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction is approaching, and franchises are re-evaluating their squad to fill in the loopholes exposed in the 18th edition of the tournament. One franchise which has banked more on experience of late is RCB. They called up Mayank Agarwal as a replacement player late in IPL 2025 and also had several players with ample T20 experience in their roster.
Among players, someone who aims to make a comeback is Umesh Yadav, the veteran Indian pacer who flew under the radar in the last few seasons. The right-arm pacer has already shown a wish to bid for his Test comeback, and a strong IPL 2026 will possibly hand in a great chance. Additionally, Umesh Yadav, with his proven track record and experience, could fit that role perfectly.
“Efforts to make a comeback are complete. I cannot select myself. I will have to play some matches, get fit. To come back, I will have to play competitive cricket. My effort is to get fit and come back in the team,” Yadav told Sports Tak.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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ROR
191/6
TBW
72/4
VSS
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BVB
–
SIN-W
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CAM-W
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SIN-W
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CAM-W
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SKA
–
ABF
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RJM
108/7
SOS
59/10
Rijeka Markhors beat Sir Oliver Split by 49 runs
ZGA
130/2
RJM
130/6
Rijeka Markhors tied with Zagreb Assassins (Zagreb Assassins wins the Golden Ball)
SOS
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ZGA
17/0
ZGW
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SOS
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ZGA
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RJM
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SOS
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ZGW
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ZAS
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ZGA
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SOS
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RJM
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ZGA
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ZAS
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ZGA
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SOS
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DURH
83/1
MID
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LEI
73/1
NOT
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BB
84/0
KENT
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WOR
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HAM
57/2
SURR
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GLAM
95/3
YOR
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SOM
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BCC
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GUG
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MATCH ABANDONED
LLG
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MUR
91/1
NK
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NWW
128/1
JJ
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SBSCC
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NCMI
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BCC
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CEC-A
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KGC
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KRMPS
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BCC
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BNB
167/4
HBT
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MGD
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SML
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MYW
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MGD
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GBM
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BNB
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SLBL
178/6
SLGY
148/3
SLGR
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SLGY
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SOB
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NOS
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WEF
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MAO
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LOS
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TRR
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SBW-W
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NOS-W
43/3
WFW-W
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MOW-W
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LSW-W
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TRW-W
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PS
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BANA
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While Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the IPL 2025, their pace bowling attack was the second-best among all teams. The team delivered the second-best average (27.72) after the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) 23.41. However, they can bolster their bowling lineup with Umesh Yadav’s inclusion, who offers control and swing with the new ball. He could form a great pair with Bhuvaneshwar Kumar or Yash Dayal. He could come in the squad at the expense of Rasikh Salam Dar. Dar played two games last year and conceded runs at an economy of 11.66, managing just one wicket.
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Umesh Yadav, once India’s leading pace across formats, has not featured regularly in the Playing XI in the last two IPL editions. He delivered his worst season in 2023, managing just one wicket in eight matches for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Right-arm pacer moved to the Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of IPL 2024, claimed eight wickets in seven games, averaging 26.25. He was released by GT ahead of the mega auction and went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. However, his career numbers speak volumes about his ability and skills. With 144 wickets in 148 IPL matches at a decent economy of 8.49, the Vidarbha pacer remains one of the most valuable pacers in the league’s history.
The 37-year-old’s numbers for RCB have also been outstanding. He has represented the franchise in three seasons from 2018 to 2021. During the period, he has picked up 28 wickets in 27 matches, averaging 31.31 and a modest economy of 8.89. His record at Chinnaswamy Stadium has been brilliant, taking 15 wickets in 12 innings at 28.07, conceding runs at 8.89. Though his economy rate was a talking point on many occasions, the right-arm pacer provided crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay.
While Umesh Yadav may not be in the prime of his career, he can add value to the RCB while defending their IPL title. With RCB aiming to fill in their gaps, a low-risk, high-experience option like Umesh could be worth a second look in IPL 2026.
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