‘I was scared’: Yuzvendra Chahal opens up on being hung from hotel balcony by ‘heavily drunk’ cricketer

Yuzvendra Chahal (PTI Photo) Veteran Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has revisited a terrifying episode from the early stages of his IPL career and revealed that an Australian cricketer, other than Andrew Symonds or James Franklin, was responsible for hanging him from a hotel balcony during the 2013 season.Chahal, the IPL’s leading wicket-taker with 233 scalps in 188 matches, started his career with Mumbai Indians in 2013 and then enjoyed a successful eight-season stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.The incident first came to light in 2022 when Chahal revealed that a drunken cricketer had hung him upside down from a hotel balcony on the 15th floor. Speculation subsequently linked the episode to former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.However, Chahal clarified on former India opener Aakash Chopra’s podcast that neither Symonds nor Franklin were involved. He recalled how the incident took place at a party organized by RCB in Bengaluru, which he attended while representing Mumbai Indians.“There was a party organized by RCB in Bengaluru. I was playing for MI at that time. I also went there and saw a guy who was heavily drunk. He was well built and very strong. He was from Australia, but it was neither Symonds nor Franklin, it was some other guy. He called me and then lifted me up in the air. At first I thought he was hanging on my neck and joking,” Chahal said.The leg player said the situation quickly turned scary as the other cricketer kept laughing as those present in the room watched in shock. He was eventually dragged back to safety after others entered him.“I was scared. He was heavily drunk and everyone in the room was stunned. Suddenly everyone intervened and pulled me back up. The guy was laughing but it was like a second birth for me. I think it was on the 15th or 16th floor of the hotel,” he added.Chahal also acknowledged that his age and lack of experience at the time meant he did not know how to make a formal complaint about the incident. He eventually decided to put the episode behind him and focus on his cricket.The 36-year-old has since established himself as one of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, but his international career has stalled. His last appearance for India came in a T20I against the West Indies in 2023.Chahal currently plays for Punjab Kings in the IPL. During the 2026 season, he made 14 appearances and scored 12 goals. Despite retiring from first-class cricket, the leg-spinner continues to harbor hopes of a return to India’s ODI and T20I teams.