Indian leg-spinner
The incident, which first gained public attention in 2022, occurred during a party in Bengaluru while Chahal was representing the Mumbai Indians. The spinner revealed that an Australian cricketer, whose identity remains undisclosed, lifted him and held him over the edge of a balcony located on the 15th or 16th floor of the hotel.
Clarifying the Details of the 2013 Incident
Addressing previous speculation that had incorrectly linked the event to former Australian players Andrew Symonds or James Franklin, Chahal explicitly stated that neither man was responsible. He described the perpetrator as a well-built individual who was heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time. According to Chahal, what initially appeared to be a misguided joke quickly escalated into a life-threatening situation.
Chahal recounted the terror of the moment, noting that he was forced to cling to the player's neck while suspended over the drop. He described the atmosphere in the room as one of shock, with onlookers frozen as the situation unfolded. The ordeal only ended when other individuals present at the gathering intervened to pull him back to safety. Chahal reflected on the experience as a brush with death, describing it as feeling like a second birth.
Reflecting on a Career and Future Ambitions
At the time of the incident, Chahal was in the early stages of his professional journey and lacked the experience to navigate the process of filing a formal complaint. He ultimately chose to move past the trauma and focus entirely on his development as a cricketer. Following his time with the Mumbai Indians, he went on to enjoy a prolific eight-season tenure with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, cementing his status as a premier spinner in the league.
Now 36, Chahal continues to compete in the IPL, currently representing the Punjab Kings. During the 2026 season, he claimed 12 wickets across 14 appearances. While he has stepped away from first-class cricket, the leg-spinner remains focused on his fitness and performance, still harbouring ambitions of a return to the Indian national squad for ODI and T20I formats. His last international appearance for India occurred during a T20I series against the West Indies in 2023.
