Punjab Kings spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up about the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) defeat against his former team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2025 edition. The spinner explained the reason for his defeat in the final against RCB.
Yuzi Chahal said that things would have been different if South African fast bowler Marco Johnson had been in the team in the final. The Proteas pacer had to return to South Africa and was unavailable for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
We missed Johnson-Yuzvendra Chahal in the final
Chahal discussed the IPL 2025 final on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel ahead of RCB’s opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). PBKS qualified for the finals after more than a decade; However, their quest for the first IPL title continues.
Yuzvendra Chahal said, “We missed Johnson in the final because he was not there. Had he been there, we would have definitely won the championship. The way he bowled throughout the tournament was fantastic and also batted, he was able to hit two to three sixes in the end. We are even more confident now with the way he is bowling. It is not going to be easy for the opposition openers.”
Chahal also talked about his poor performance in the IPL after returning from a rib injury. “I was a bit disappointed with myself. After the KKR game, I fractured my ribs and later fractured my knuckles. So in the semi-finals and the final, I was not able to bowl my proper leg spin. This year, I want to take care of my body first,” he said.
I have stopped drinking alcohol- Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal also said that he is keen to increase his quality and fitness levels as a senior player. He claims that after staying away from alcohol, he is seeing another significant benefit in his body.
“I have stopped drinking, and it has been more than six months. I am 35 now, so I want to be more active and give my 150% for my team. As a senior player, I want people to learn something from me in the IPL.”
Yuzvendra Chahal will give first title to PBKS
Yuzvendra Chahal is the most successful bowler in IPL history, having taken 221 wickets in 172 matches since 2013. He also leads the charts with the number of wickets taken in the competition. He is recognized for his courage and aggressive bowling ability even in smaller grounds like the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he has played most of the matches in his IPL career.
The IPL is scheduled to start from March 28, with RCB facing off against SRH on the opening day at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. All the teams have joined their respective camps for the training session before the tournament.
The IPL Committee and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the first 20 matches of the world’s toughest T20 league due to the assembly elections.
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