‘Things went into overdrive after my divorce’: Yuzvendra Chahal opens up about alcohol addiction
Yuzvendra Chahal (Photo AFP) NEW DELHI: Post-divorce Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about his battle with alcohol and revealed that he checked himself into a rehab center for 26 days to get his life back on track. The leg-spinner said his drinking had crossed the line and he realized that continuing on the same path could damage his cricket career.Chahal, who is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 233 wickets in 188 matches, spoke about his struggles in a podcast with former India opener Aakash Chopra.
“After my divorce, things went too far”
Chopra asked Chahal when he decided to give up alcohol.“After last year of county cricket. It crossed all limits, so I checked myself into a rehab center and stayed there for 26 days. Now I know how to handle it. This decision has changed my personal life a lot. My maturity has increased. My emotions are balanced now. I felt like I was 30 years old again in the last IPL – I was working out properly in the gym, fielding and training.”When asked by Chopra how his alcohol consumption started, Chahal said that he was young when he started attending parties. He also recalled a piece of advice from former South African batsman AB de Villiers.“Initially I was young. There were parties. I played my first IPL in 2011. AB de Villiers once told me, ‘Balance is the key in life.’ It sounds simple but it’s not. Things got worse after my divorce and my mental state was not that great,” he said.“I realized that if I continued down this path, I would be destroying the very thing that I love the most – cricket. So I ended it and now I am in a much happier and better space,” Chahal said.
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Chahal’s IPL record
Despite his personal problems, Chahal has remained one of the leading wicket-takers in the IPL. He scored 233 goals in 188 matches, putting him at the top of the tournament’s all-time list.He also represented India in 72 ODIs taking 121 wickets and 80 T20Is with 96 wickets. However, his Test debut is yet to come.Chahal took 16 wickets in IPL 2025 and finished the 2026 season with 12 wickets.