Yuzvendra Chahal Reveals Massive Personal Sacrifice, Sets New Goals For IPL 2026

Yuzvendra Chahal [Source: AFP]

Indian cricketer and IPL star Yuzvendra Chahal recently made a surprising revelation about his personal life. As IPL 2026 is approaching, the experienced spinner shared that he has decided to quit drinking alcohol in order to focus more on his fitness and performance. 

In IPL 2025, Yuzvendra Chahal had a fairly good season. Notably, Punjab Kings reached the final but unfortunately lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. (RCB). Even though the team finished as runners-up, Chahal still played an important role in their campaign. 

Yuzvendra Chahal reflects on strong IPL 2025 season

Notably, after this experience, the Haryana spinner is now looking forward to the new season with greater determination. Not only does he want to help his team win the IPL title, but he also wants to enter the tournament with better fitness and stronger confidence.

In a recent podcast with former South African cricket legend AB de Villiers, the ignored Indian spinner revealed that he has stopped consuming alcohol as he prepares for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.

Yuzvendra Chahal opens up about his decision

The 35-year-old cricketer shared that he stopped drinking alcohol several months ago so that he can take better care of his body and perform at his best during the tournament. Chahal said,

“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 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’,” added Chahal.

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Yuzvendra Chahal’s challenges in personal life

It is important to note that Yuzvendra Chahal’s journey over the past few years has not been easy. At one point, he was stuck on 96 wickets in T20Is and could have become the first Indian bowler to reach 100 wickets in that format. Unfortunately, other Indian bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah achieved that milestone before him.

Additionally, his IPL performances were not always consistent. On top of that, Chahal also faced a difficult phase in his personal life. He went through a painful divorce with his wife Dhanashree Verma after months of public controversies, and the couple officially separated last year.

Despite these challenges, Chahal continued to contribute strongly to his team. In IPL 2025, he played 14 matches for Punjab Kings and helped the team reach the playoffs after 11 years. During the season, he took 16 wickets with an economy rate of 9.56.

Moreover, he achieved another major milestone by becoming the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Currently, Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record with 221 wickets in 174 matches. 

Now, Yuzvendra Chahal is fully focused on making a strong comeback in IPL 2026. Punjab Kings are also hoping to win their first IPL title. The 2026 IPL season will begin on March 28, and Punjab Kings will start their campaign on March 31 against Gujarat Titans at their home ground.

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