Discarded Indian spinner and Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Yuzvendra Chahal has revealed that he has completely stopped drinking and is keen to help their franchise break the title drought in IPL 2026. The Haryana-born cricketer said that he wants to put his best foot in front in the 19th season of the tournament and hasn’t consumed Alcohol in the past six months.
“I want people in the IPL to learn something from me” – Yuzvendra Chahal
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Chahal was brought for a jaw-dropping amount of ₹18 crore by the Punjab Kings. Chahal, who is currently the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with 221 scalps, reasonably justified his price tag, picking up 16 scalps in 14 games at 26.87. However, the 35-year-old is seemingly expecting more from himself for Punjab to go one better.
Speaking on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel, he said:
“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.”
“In the final, we missed Jansen” – Yuzvendra Chahal
With South African Marco Jansen needing to return home before the final to feature in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in London against Australia in 2025, the wrist-spinner rued his absence for the decider against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He explained:
“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.”
Punjab Kings will open their campaign against the Gujarat Titans on March 31, Tuesday in Mullanpur. The 2025 final loss was Punjab Kings’ second loss in the tournament decider, having endured their first in 2014.
