Topics such as dependency on alcohol, time spent in rehabilitation, and the breakdown of marriages have historically attracted little public discussion among prominent Indian athletes, with only a handful choosing to speak openly about what they have faced in their private lives.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, once paired with Kuldeep Yadav in India's white-ball attack under the Kul-Cha tag, spoke about the difficulties he faced during a podcast appearance alongside former opener Aakash Chopra. Leaning on close relatives and a longstanding friend during a period of personal strain, the bowler — whose 233 IPL wickets across 188 matches place him at the top of the tournament's all-time dismissal list at age 36 — described how that circle of support kept him from reaching a point of complete mental breakdown.

Chahal explained that the decision to stop drinking came in the wake of the previous year's county cricket campaign. When the situation reached a point where outside help became necessary, a 26-day stay at a treatment facility followed. He noted that the approach to managing it had since become clear to him.

A reported shift toward greater personal steadiness left emotional responses on a more even footing. Chahal noted that during the previous IPL season his physical condition felt markedly rejuvenated, with gym sessions, fielding drills, and structured training all contributing to that renewed fitness.

Separately, his separation from choreographer Dhanashree Verma, finalised in March 2025, drew widespread attention across social media platforms. Sources indicated that the two had been maintaining separate households since 2022.

During that stretch, Chahal continued to deliver steady performances in the IPL, yet his opportunities at the national level declined — and it was also within this window that he began experiencing panic attacks. When Aakash Chopra posed a question about how a drinking habit had taken hold, Chahal offered this explanation: "At the time, I was at a young age. Celebrations took place across the area." His debut appearance in the IPL tournament came during the 2011 edition.

Chahal described reaching a point at which continuing along that trajectory would have damaged the sport he valued above all else. He noted that being a public figure means personal circumstances inevitably draw public commentary, adding that stepping away from the situation had brought him to a place of greater peace.

He described encountering a period of low wellbeing alongside a range of obstacles, and acknowledged that his performance on the cricket field took a hit as a result. Chahal noted that only two white-ball fixtures featured in that year's schedule before T20I appearances stopped, with a personal acknowledgement that his mental approach at the time had not been where it needed to be.

Chahal told reporters that a physical condition left him short of full fitness, and that he chose to step aside rather than let the team carry that burden. Over the preceding three to four years, his standing at the international level had followed a declining path.

Discussing the experience further, Chahal noted that panic attacks tend to manifest physically — with a faster heartbeat among the ways that stress can register in the body. During a panic attack, his face would appear to contract or tighten, and speech would leave him entirely, with his lip drawing tight and twisting to one side.

Chahal said that the full weight of anxiety's grip became apparent to him at that point, along with an awareness of the volume of commentary likely to appear across social media platforms. Redirecting attention toward the IPL, he noted that once the intensity gradually eased, a choice was made to move on. He acknowledged that online discussion platforms were unlikely to fall silent on the matter, and that a definitive separation had been the route chosen.

Speaking about the opening IPL campaign with Punjab Kings — a franchise that had committed Rs 18 crore to bring him on board — Chahal conveyed that carrying such a substantial financial mandate generated a deep-seated sense of accountability, one where underperforming felt incompatible with the confidence the team had expressed through that outlay. He noted that a KKR fixture, with 111 runs to protect, had made clear to him that a greater personal contribution was necessary.

Across the two IPL campaigns being compared, Chahal's wicket tally dropped from 16 in the earlier edition down to 12 in 2026.