Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up on quitting alcohol in a bid to stay fit for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 221 scalps to his name so far, Yuzi is motivated to be physically in top shape, especially after suffering multiple injuries in IPL 2025.
The leggie has suffered a rib fracture at the start of the tournament and then finger fracture towards the later stage, which compromised his performance. Despite that, he finished the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker for PBKS with 16 wickets and was one of the key cogs behind the franchise’s runners-up finish.
Talking about his preparation for IPL 2026, Yuzvendra Chahal told his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers on his YouTube podcast,
“This year my mind has said that I will take care of my body first. And I have one good news for you, I stopped alcohol.”
Chahal added, “It’s been more than six months. I am 35 now. I want to be more active and I want to give 150 percent for my team. As a senior bowler if I go to the IPL, I want people to see me and think ‘we have to learn something from him’.”
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The PBKS spin department does not look as threatening with Yuzvendra Chahal being the only wicket-taking bowler. Apart from him, they have Harpreet Brar as a frontline option, but he is more of a defensive spinner, bowling lengths usually to limit damage.
Punjab added few more spinners at the auction last Decemeber but they don’t really add to the threat factor. Vishal Nishad has yet to make his IPL or domestic debut while Pravin Dubey has very limited IPL experience, having played just five games. Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly was bought as a replacement for Glenn Maxwell but he too is untested in Indian conditions.
Furthermore, Chahal’s form hasn’t been the best either. Although he picked up 16 wickets in IPL 2025, his economy almost touched 10 (9.55). In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2025) last year, the 35-year-old played three games, picking four wickets but went at 9.90, which underlines the challenges PBKS might face in IPL 2026.
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