Chahal survived a 2013 balcony incident and finished the 2026 IPL season with 12 wickets.
The veteran leg-spinner, who has plundered 233 wickets in 188 IPL matches, told a podcast that a drunken Australian, not Andrew Symonds, lifted him in the air on the 15th floor of a Bengaluru hotel.
He was hanging upside‑down, his throat gripping the balcony rail, while the room erupted in stunned silence and the man’s laughter rang through the night.
By the time the other players stepped in, Chahal was still terrified, but the incident became a turning point that forced him to re‑evaluate his safety and focus on the game.
After that harrowing night, Chahal went on to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, then Punjab Kings, and remains one of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, despite a stalled international career that last saw him in a 2023 T20I against the West Indies.
As he looks ahead, Chahal is keen to prove he still has the fire to return to India’s ODI and T20I squads, aiming to add another chapter to his legendary spin arsenal.
Next up: Punjab Kings face Chennai Super Kings in the 2027 IPL opener, a match that could be the proving ground Chahal needs to re‑enter the national team.