IPL legend reveals he has quit alcohol and it’s been ‘more than six months’

The high one gets from alcohol can never really compare to the high of one's sporting excellence on the field of play. Whenever you realise it, it's cool. Better late than never.

Former India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is the one who has seen the light in this regard. The 35-year-old, who plays for the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Punjab Kings, has revealed ahead of Season 19 of the league that it's been quite a few months since he stopped consuming alcohol.

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“This year, my mind has said that I will take care of my body first. And I have some good news for you: I stopped drinking alcohol.

“It’s been more than six months. I am 35 now. I want to be more active, and I want to give 150 per cent for my team. As a senior bowler, if I go to the IPL, I want people to see me and think ‘we have to learn something from him’,” said Chahal.

Chahal has been through a lot in recent years

Life has not been great for the leg-spinner for the last couple of years, on and off the field. And one wonders if alcohol consumption played a role in it. He has not played for Team India since 2023.

Stuck on 96 wickets, he could have been the first Indian bowler to take 100 T20I wickets. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have since done that.

His IPL performances haven't been great either. Then he had to go through the hell of divorce with Dhanashree Verma. Last year, after months of unrelenting controversies, they officially divorced.

Chahal played 14 games last year for the Punjab Kings and played an important role in the franchise reaching the play-offs after 11 years. He took 16 wickets in all at an economy rate of 9.56. During the course of the season, Chahal also became the highest wicket-taker in the history of the league. Punjab, led by Shreyas Iyer, failed at the last hurdle as they were beaten by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final.

The 2026 IPL starts on March 28, and the Punjab Kings start their campaign on March 31 against Gujarat Titans at home. Now that Chahal has stopped drinking alcohol, expect him to make a bigger difference this season. Punjab and Delhi are two of the old franchises that haven't won the league since its inception in 2008. Who knows, Chahal may play a decisive role, to that end, this time around?

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