The Bombay High Court ordered the Bandra Magistrate Court to decide the divorce case of Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife Dhanashree Verma by Thursday, March 20. Justice Madhav Jamdar directed the family court for speeding up the process. Court cited Indian cricketer’s commitments with Indian Premier League for early hearing.
Chahal will play for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, starting March 22. The Royals will play their opening game in Hyderabad against SunRisers Hyderabad on Sunday, March 23. Chahal has been training with the Royals in Jaipur, having joined their pre-season camp as early as the second week of March. The Indian cricketer was seen cheering for the senior national men’s team during the Champions Trophy final.
Chahal and Dhanashree filed a divorce petition before the family court on February 5, seeking divorce by mutual consent. However, the family court had refused to waive the six-month cooling-off period on February 20. The court cited partial compliance with the consent terms, which required Chahal to pay Rs 4.75 crore to Dhanashree. He had paid Rs 2.37 crore, the court noted.
The family court referenced a report from the marriage counsellor, which indicated that mediation efforts had only been partially complied with. Chahal and Dhanashree subsequently filed a joint plea in the High Court, challenging the family court’s decision in Mumbai. Under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, a six-month cooling-off period is mandatory before granting a divorce decree.
Justice Jamdar waived the cooling-off period, considering that Chahal and Verma had been living separately for over two and a half years and that the consent terms agreed upon during mediationparticularly concerning the payment of alimonyhad been complied with. Court further noted that the consent terms had been adhered to, as they stipulated that the second instalment of permanent alimony would only be paid after the divorce decree was granted.
Speculation about strain in their relationship has been rife ever since the couple stopped sharing social media posts together. Earlier this year, Dhanashree Verma’s family rubbished rumours that claimed the dancer had demanded Rs 60 crore as alimony.