Yuzvendra Chahal Going into IPL 2026 with a fresh mindset and a strong focus on fitness, he hopes to turn a difficult phase of his career into a fresh start with the Punjab Kings. The 35-year-old leg-spinner, who has not featured for India since 2023, revealed a major personal change that he believes will help him grow his career and perform at the highest level.Addressing. AB de Villiers On his YouTube show, Chahal shared that he has completely given up alcohol. “This year, my mind has said that I will take care of my body first. And I have some good news for you: I quit drinking.“It’s been more than six months. I’m 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 look at me and think ‘we have something to learn from them’,” Chahal said.The decision comes after a challenging few years, both professionally and personally. Once on the verge of becoming the first Indian bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets, Chahal, along with Arsdeep Singh, stood on 96. Jaspreet Bumrah And Hardik Pandya The milestone has since been crossed.Off the field too, Chahal has faced a rough patch, including a high-profile divorce from Dhanashree Verma last year after months in the public eye.Despite these setbacks, he played a key role in Punjab Kings’ strong IPL 2025 campaign. Appearing in 14 matches, he took 16 wickets at an economy rate of 9.56 and became the league’s highest wicket-taker during the season. Under the leadership of Punjab Shreyas IyerReached the final but fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Chahal admitted that the defeat is still there, citing the absence of all-rounder Marco Johnson as a key factor. “In the final, we missed Johnson because he wasn’t there. If he was there, we would have won the championship for sure,” Chahal said.The leg-spinner also revealed that he was not fully fit during the business end of the tournament. “I was a bit disappointed with myself. After the KKR game, I fractured my rib, and later, I broke my bone. So in the semi-final and the final, I couldn’t bowl my proper legspin. This year, I want to take care of my body first,” he said.With 221 wickets in 174 matches, Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL and will once again be central to Punjab’s title ambitions. As the franchise prepares to begin its IPL 2026 campaign against the Gujarat Titans on March 31, Chahal’s new found discipline and focus could prove decisive in their quest for a maiden title.
