Yuzvendra Chahal, whose IPL bowling record places him among the competition's most prolific wicket-takers, has spoken openly about a period in which his dependence on alcohol grew severe enough that he sought treatment at a rehabilitation facility. The 36-year-old leg-spinner, who stepped away from first-class cricket not long ago, has also navigated periods of personal difficulty, among them a struggle with alcohol dependency and the breakdown of his marriage.

Chahal told former India opener Aakash Chopra on a podcast that drinking became a problem for him from around 2011 — the period when he joined the IPL — and that the situation grew harder to manage following the breakdown of his marriage. When the dependency grew beyond manageable bounds, a 26-day stay at a treatment facility followed.

Following the divorce, behaviour became excessive and psychological wellbeing suffered. Chahal described a point at which he questioned how long the mental load could be sustained, noting that episodes of anxiety and panic attacks subsequently became part of daily experience, with anxiety characterised by a noticeable rise in heart rate.

Eventually, a recognition took hold that the path he was on posed a real threat to cricket — the sport he values above all others. He told Chopra that he had been going through a difficult period and had reached out to Anirudh Chaudhry, who was serving as BCCI treasurer at the time, to ask for some time away — a request Chaudhry received with understanding and support.

At some point during the 2011 IPL season, AB de Villiers shared with Chahal a view he had long held — that keeping one's life in balance underpins everything else — though de Villiers noted, from his own experience, how much harder that idea proves in practice than it appears on the surface.

The 36-year-old noted that close friends and relatives had been a source of support during a period he found personally testing, adding that both his nearest friend and his family had stood by him throughout. Chahal told Chopra that he now understands how to manage the situation, adding that the choice had brought about a notable shift in his personal life.

Describing his mental state as markedly more settled, Chahal spoke of having worked through his dependency. He noted that during the previous IPL season, his body had responded the way it did at 30, allowing him to complete gym sessions, fielding drills, and structured training without difficulty. Chahal noted that bringing the situation to a close had left him in a noticeably more positive state of mind.

Chahal also noted that life in the public eye tends to strip away the boundary between what is shared and what is personal, observing that visibility alone is often treated as an open invitation for outside commentary on matters he considers private.