NEW DELHI: Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal’s advocate, Nitin Kumar Gupta, addressed the media on Thursday, confirming that the court has granted the decree of divorce, officially ending the leg-spinner’s marriage with Dhanashree Verma.
“The court has granted the decree of divorce. The court has accepted the joint petition of both parties. The parties are no longer husband and wife,” Gupta stated.
Both Chahal and Dhanashree arrived separately at the court on Thursday, wearing masks to avoid being photographed.
Dhanashree and Chahal got engaged in 2020 and tied the knot in December of the same year in a private ceremony in Gurugram.
A day earlier, the Bombay High Court approved an application filed by the estranged couple seeking a waiver of the cooling-off period in their ongoing mutual consent divorce proceedings.
Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Bombay HC directed the family court to decide on the divorce petition on Thursday itself, considering Chahal’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
The leg-spinner was acquired by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ?18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
The Justice Jamdar-led Bench acknowledged that the couple had been living apart for over two and a half years and had fully complied with the consent terms regarding the payment of alimony, as agreed upon during mediation.
Under Hindu law, if a husband and wife have been living separately for a year or more, they may file for a mutual consent divorce. However, Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act mandates a statutory cooling-off period of at least six months from the date of filing to allow for the possibility of reconciliation.
In a landmark 2017 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the six-month cooling-off period is not mandatory and may be waived if the court is satisfied that there is no chance of the couple resuming cohabitation.
Dhanashree, 28, is a well-known dancer famous for her fusion performances that combine traditional Indian dance forms with contemporary styles.
Recently, Chahal was spotted among the spectators at the Champions Trophy Final, sitting next to social media star RJ Mahvash. This is not the first time the two have been linked together.
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