Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, who recently retired from first-class cricket, has revealed that he battled alcohol addiction to the point where he had to check into a rehabilitation centre. One of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, Chahal has faced several personal challenges, including alcohol addiction and divorce. “After last year of county cricket… It (alcohol addiction) crossed all limits, so I checked into a rehab centre and stayed there for 26 days. Now, I know how to handle it,” Chahal told former India opener Aakash Chopra on a podcast.
“That decision made a massive difference to my personal life. My maturity increased. My emotions are balanced now. Last IPL, my body felt like I was 30 years old again — doing gym work, fielding drills and training properly,” he said.
He said his family and friends helped him navigate the difficult phase of his life.
“My best friend and family were there,” the 36-year-old leg-spinner said.
Chahal said his alcohol problems began around 2011, when he entered the IPL, and worsened after his divorce. However, he added that he is now in a much happier place after overcoming his addiction.
“Initially, I was young. There were parties. In 2011, I played my first IPL. (South African cricketer) AB de Villiers once told me, ‘Balance is key in life.’ It sounds easy, but it is not.
“Things got excessive after my divorce, and my mental state was not that great. I realised that if I continued down that path, I would ruin the very thing I love most — cricket. So I put an end to it, and now I am in a much happier and better space,” Chahal said.
Speaking about the turmoil in his personal life, Chahal said being a public figure often gives people a free pass to comment on his private affairs.
“When you are a public figure, everything happening in your life becomes an invitation for people to comment. I felt bad, and there were a lot of difficulties,” he said.
“I spoke to Anirudh sir (Chaudhry, former BCCI treasurer) and requested a break, and he was very supportive. Eventually, I thought, ‘How long will I carry this weight?’ Anxiety and panic attacks started happening in my life.
“Anxiety is like, the heartbeat increases. For me, my face would shrink during a panic attack. I couldn’t even speak; my lip would tighten and pull to one side, so people could figure out that something was wrong with me.”
