A family court in Bandra on Thursday granted a mutual divorce to cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma, after they filed a joint petition. Both appeared in court, and Chahal’s lawyer, Nitin Gupta, confirmed the court’s decision, stating that all consent terms had been fulfilled. The couple, who married in December 2020, had been living separately since June 2022, according to their petition.
On February 5, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma, filed a joint petition before the family court seeking a mutual divorce.
On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court directed the family court to decide on their plea by Thursday, noting that Chahal would soon be unavailable due to his participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), starting March 22. Chahal is part of the Punjab Kings team.
The High Court also waived the mandatory six-month cooling-off period under the Hindu Marriage Act, which is typically required after filing for mutual divorce to allow time for reconciliation.
Chahal and Verma had approached the High Court seeking this waiver, arguing that they had mutually agreed to separate and requested an expedited decision from the family court. Their petition, filed through advocate Nitin Gupta, also challenged the family court’s February 20 order, which had refused to waive the cooling period.
The family court had cited partial compliance with consent terms — specifically, that Chahal had paid Rs 2.37 crore of the agreed Rs 4.75 crore alimony — and a marriage counselor’s report noting incomplete mediation efforts.
However, the High Court observed that the consent terms clearly stipulated that the remaining alimony would be paid after the divorce decree was granted. Therefore, the court ruled that there was full compliance with the terms and directed the family court to proceed accordingly.
