3 min readMar 18, 2026 09:47 PM IST
Out-of-favour India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal opened up on overcoming his issues with consuming alcohol while ruing a missed shot at winning an IPL title in 2025 with the Punjab Kings.
The leg-spinner had been part of an IPL-winning side in 2013 with the Mumbai Indians, but has never featured in a victorious XI despite featuring in three finals with three different teams since. Chahal represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2016 final which they lost to the SunRisers Hyderabad. Representing Rajasthan Royals, Chahal had ended up on the losing side during the 2022 final against Gujarat Titans.
Moving to the Punjab Kings last year, Chahal came close to breaking the drought before falling at the final hurdle against his former side, SRH. Under the inspired captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS had made only their second final in 17 years before they finished agonisingly short in the final against RCB by six runs. Chahal lamented the absence of Punjab’s strike pacer, Marco Jansen, in the final, insisting that the South Africa star would have made a difference had he not been travelling for the World Test Championship final.
‘We missed him’
Batting first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, RCB posted 190 for five before restricting PBKS to 184 for seven. In a conversation with his former IPL teammate, Chahal explained why Jansen could have made a difference and how his struggles with multiple fractures had hampered his own season.
“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,” Chahal told on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel.
“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,” admitted Chahal.
‘Quitting alcohol’
Chahal has been out of the national set-up since 2023 and with another IPL season around the corner, the 35-year-old has revealed that he is keen on improving his fitness and impression as a senior player. Staying away from alcohol consumption has been one of the more notable improvements according to him.
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“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.
The Haryana spinner’s last outing was in November 2025 before suffering a health setback, suffering from dengue and chikungunya. Returning for Punjab, Chahal remains as the most successful bowler in IPL history, with 221 wickets in 172 matches since 2013.
