'Things got excessive after divorce': Yuzvendra Chahal opens up on alcohol addiction

NEW DELHI: Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about his struggle with alcohol after his divorce, revealing that he checked into a rehabilitation centre for 26 days to get his life back on track. The leg-spinner said his drinking had crossed limits and he realised that continuing on the same path could harm 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.

'Things got excessive after my divorce'

Chopra asked Chahal when he decided to give up alcohol. "After last year of county cricket. It crossed all limits, so I checked into a rehab centre and stayed there for 26 days. Now, I know how to handle it. That decision made a massive difference to my personal life. My maturity increased. My emotions are balanced now. Last IPL, my body felt like I was 30 years old again - doing gym work, fielding drills and training properly," Chahal said. When Chopra asked how his alcohol consumption began, Chahal said he was young when he started attending parties. He also recalled advice from former South Africa batter AB de Villiers.

"Initially, I was young. There were parties. In 2011, I played my first IPL. AB de Villiers once told me, 'Balance is key in life.' It sounds easy, but it is not. Things got excessive after my divorce, and my mental state was not that great," he said. "I realised that if I continued down that path, I would ruin the very thing I love most - cricket. So I put an end to it, and now I am in a much happier and better space," Chahal said.

Chahal's IPL record

Despite his personal struggles, Chahal has remained one of the leading wicket-takers in the IPL. He has taken 233 wickets in 188 matches, putting him at the top of the tournament's all-time list. He has also represented India in 72 ODIs, taking 121 wickets, and 80 T20Is, taking 96 wickets. However, he is yet to make his Test debut. Chahal took 16 wickets in IPL 2025 and finished the 2026 season with 12 wickets.