New Delhi, Oct 16, 2026 14:30 ISTIndia leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about his struggles with alcohol addiction and anxiety attacks, revealing how the end of his marriage and intense public scrutiny affected his mental health. Chahal stated that he sought professional intervention after recognizing that his drinking habits had escalated and that he needed to make a profound change.
Speaking on former India cricketer Aakash Chopra's podcast, the 36-year-old athlete reflected on how consuming alcohol began as a social routine during his early years in the Indian Premier League before becoming harder to manage following his divorce. He credited a 26-day program at a rehabilitation facility with teaching him how to handle his emotions more maturely and regain stability in his daily life.
Chahal and Dhanashree Verma married in December 2020, lived separately beginning in June 2022, and obtained a mutual consent divorce from the Bandra Family Court in Mumbai in March 2025. The veteran spinner shared that stepping away from alcohol allowed him to restore his physical fitness and refocus on his training, noting that while his professional cricket performances remained relatively stable, his personal life suffered immensely.
Tracing his drinking habits back to the early days of the IPL, Chahal recalled how heavy partying was common among young players during the tournament's initial seasons. He explained that the situation worsened significantly after his divorce, a time when he experienced severe mental strain and began worrying about the potential impact on his sporting career.
Chahal also described suffering from anxiety attacks during this turbulent period, noting that public commentary and media attention surrounding his personal life weighed heavily on him and forced him to take a temporary break from the game when his mindset was not right. He ultimately decided to stop paying attention to social media chatter and focus on a fresh start.
Having recently retired from first-class cricket, Chahal remains the leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 233 dismissals, alongside 217 wickets across 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is for India. Although he was part of India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup without featuring in a match, he has not represented the national team in an international fixture since August 2023.