India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has recalled a terrifying incident from the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL). Chahal revealed that an intoxicated Australian cricketer once hung him over a hotel balcony on the 15th or 16th floor, but clarified that neither Andrew Symonds nor James Franklin was involved.
Chahal first spoke publicly about the frightening experience in 2022. The spinner was representing Mumbai Indians at the time and attended a party hosted by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He said an Australian player lifted him and dangled him over the balcony before others intervened.
Yuzvendra Chahal Recalls Terrifying IPL Hotel Balcony Incident
Speaking on former India opener Aakash Chopra’s podcast, Yuzvendra Chahal said he initially thought the player was joking when he lifted him. However, the situation quickly turned dangerous when the cricketer held him over the balcony, leaving him clinging to the player’s neck.
“There was a party in Bengaluru hosted by RCB, and I was playing for MI at the time. I also went there and saw a guy who was heavily drunk. He was well-built and very strong. He was from Australia, but he was neither Symonds nor Franklin, rather some other guy,” Chahal said.
“He called me over and then lifted me into the air. At first, I thought he was joking, but then he hung me over the balcony, and I was just holding on to his neck,” he added.
Yuzvendra Chahal Says Balcony Ordeal Felt Like a ‘Second Birth’
Yuzvendra Chahal recalled that the people inside the hotel room were stunned as the intoxicated player held him over the balcony. They eventually realized the danger and rushed to pull him back to safety.
“I was terrified. He was heavily drunk, and everyone in the room was stunned. Suddenly, everyone intervened and pulled me back up. That guy was laughing, but for me, it felt like a second birth. I think it was on the 15th or 16th floor of the hotel,” Chahal said.
The leg-spinner also admitted that he was young and naive at the time and did not know how to file a formal complaint. He eventually decided to move on from the episode and concentrate on developing his cricket career rather than pursue the matter further.
Yuzvendra Chahal’s IPL Record and India Career
Yuzvendra Chahal began his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2013 before establishing himself as a key player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he spent eight seasons. He remains the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, with 233 wickets in 188 matches.
The leg-spinner currently represents Punjab Kings in the IPL. During the 2026 season, he played 14 matches and claimed 12 wickets.
However, Chahal has been out of favour with the Indian selectors in recent years. His last international appearance came in a T20I against the West Indies in 2023, and he has not returned to the national team since.
Chahal has retired from first-class cricket but remains hopeful of an international comeback. He has taken 121 wickets in 72 ODIs at an average of 27.13 and an economy rate of 5.26. In T20Is, he has claimed 96 wickets in 80 matches at an average of 25.09 and an economy rate of 8.19.
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