Yuzvendra Chahal (AFP Photo)
NEW DELHI: Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about his struggle with alcohol after his divorce, revealing that he checked into a rehabilitation centre for 26 days to get his life back on track. It crossed all limits, so I checked into a rehab centre and stayed there for 26 days. Last IPL, my body felt like I was 30 years old again – doing gym work, fielding drills and training properly,” Chahal said. He has taken 233 wickets in 188 matches, putting him at the top of the tournament’s all-time list.
The leg-spinner said his drinking had crossed limits and he realised that continuing on the same path could harm his cricket career. When Chopra asked how his alcohol consumption began, Chahal said he was young when he started attending parties. AB de Villiers once told me, ‘Balance is key in life. Things got excessive after my divorce, and my mental state was not that great,” he said. So I put an end to it, and now I am in a much happier and better space,” Chahal said.
Now, I know how to handle it. That decision made a massive difference to my personal life. My maturity increased. My emotions are balanced now. He also recalled advice from former South Africa batter AB de Villiers. It sounds easy, but it is not. “I realised that if I continued down that path, I would ruin the very thing I love most – cricket. Despite his personal struggles, Chahal has remained one of the leading wicket-takers in the IPL.
“After last year of county cricket.