Yuzvendra Chahal reveals quitting alcohol to prioritise fitness ahead of IPL 2026

Punjab Kings (PBKS) star leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has had a tumultuous last couple of years both on the professional and personal fronts. The 35-year-old last played for the Indian team in August 2023. Although the tweaker was part of the T20 World Cup 2024 squad he did not receive any opportunities to play and is out of the selectors' radar currently.

Chahal, who is preparing for the upcoming IPL 2026 season, revealed that he has quit alcohol to focus on getting more active. The 35-year-old shared that he has not consumed it since the last six months and his utmost priority now is to enhance his fitness level. The right-armer acknowledged the importance of taking care of his physical self given his age and aims to improve his image to be a role model for younger players in the league.

"This year my mind has said that I will take care of my body first. And I have one good news for you, I stopped alcohol. It’s been more than six months. I am 35 now. I want to be more active and I want to give 150 percent 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 in an interview with AB de Villiers as quoted by The Indian Express.

If Jansen was there, we would have definitely won the final: Chahal

Chahal reflected on the IPL 2025 final which PBKS lost to RCB by six runs. The Haryana player believes that the team missed all-rounder Marco Jansen in the ultimate clash as the South African was in good form with both bat and ball. Chahal rued his own luck at the business end as the spinner played with a couple of fractures which rendered his bowling less effective. 

"In the final, we missed Jansen as he was not there. If he was there, we would have definitely won the championship. The way he bowled throughout the tournament was brilliant, and batting too, he was capable of hitting two to three sixes in the end. We are even more confident now because of the way he is bowling. It’s not going to be easy for the opposition openers.

“I was a bit disappointed with myself. After the KKR game, I had a rib fracture, and later, my knuckle got fractured. So in the semifinal and final, I wasn’t able to bowl my proper leg-spin. This year, I want to take care of my body first,” Chahal added.

Notably, Chahal is the highest wicket-taker of all time in the league with 221 scalps from 174 matches. Similarly, the leg spinner was slated to continue to be the top wicket-taker for India in T20Is but due to his non-selection he is stranded at 96 wickets from 80 matches.