Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about a major change in his personal life. The wrist-spinner is set to return to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for the Punjab Kings and has been training
with his teammates. Chahal is eager not only to win the title—something he narrowly missed last year—but also to enter the season with greater confidence and improved fitness.
Speaking to AB de Villiers on his YouTube show, Chahal revealed that he has stopped consuming alcohol. In response, the former South African captain cheered loudly and applauded the Indian spinner for his decision.
“I’ve stopped drinking alcohol, and it’s been more than six months. I am now 35, so I want to be more active and give my 150% for my team. As a senior player, I want people in the IPL to learn something from me,” Chahal told De Villiers.
Punjab Kings had an impressive run in the last IPL season, apart from the final match. They faced a 6-run loss against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, narrowly missing the title for the second time in the tournament’s history. The loss left everyone in the Punjab camp, including spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, deeply disappointed.
Chahal still feels that the presence of Marco Jansen could have turned the tide in their favour.
“In the final, we missed Jansen as he was not there. If he were there, we would have definitely won the championship,” Chahal told AB de Villiers on his YouTube show.
“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,” he added.
Jansen had returned to South Africa early to prepare for the World Test Championship final against Australia. According to Chahal, this left PBKS struggling with their bowling in the final, allowing RCB to post 190 runs in their 20 overs. Chahal himself had a tough time, finishing with figures of 37/1 in 4 overs.
“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,” he said.
Yuzvendra Chahal remains the IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker with 221 scalps in 174 games. As PBKS looks to capture their maiden title, Chahal aims to make a strong comeback in the IPL 2026 season.
