On Thursday, March 20, a family court in Mumbai granted the divorce of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and dance choreographer Dhanashree Verma. The cricketer and his separated wife reached the Bandra Family Court, where a decree was issued based on the joint petition submitted for divorce by mutual agreement.
The hearing was set for Thursday after the Bombay High Court instructed the family court on Wednesday to fast-track proceedings, taking into account Chahal’s obligations with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Chahal arrived at the family court first, followed by Dhanashree an hour afterward.
“Divorce has been granted. The marriage is dissolved,” said a lawyer.
In this situation, the required six-month cooling-off period was waived. The duo, wed in 2020, submitted divorce papers on February 5, 2025, and had been residing apart since June 2022.
Chahal adhered to the divorce agreement, which obligated him to pay Dhanashree Rs 4.75 crore. He initially paid Rs 2.37 crore, and the Bombay High Court observed that the second instalment would be made only after the divorce decree was issued.
ALSO READ: Rajasthan Royals To Be Lead By Riyan Parag For The First Three Games!
The family court had previously stated that the failure to pay the complete alimony sum constituted partial compliance with the divorce settlement provisions and declined to lift the cooling-off period. It additionally cited a report from a marriage counselor, indicating that mediation attempts had only been somewhat followed.
Chahal and Dhanashree later submitted a combined request in the Bombay High Court, asking for a waiver from the required cooling-off period.
According to Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, a cooling-off period of six months is generally necessary before issuing a divorce decree. This timeframe is meant to give the parties an opportunity to consider the option of reconciliation. Nevertheless, it might be overlooked in instances where a resolution seems improbable.
