The Bombay High Court has overturned a family court's decision that denied cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife Dhanashree Verma’s request to waive the mandatory cooling-off period for divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act.

Justice Madhav Jamdar, who heard the matter, directed the family court to decide on the divorce petition by Thursday, March 20, considering Chahal’s upcoming participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The high court’s order now allows the couple to proceed with their mutual consent divorce without further delay.

Chahal and Verma had jointly filed for divorce on February 5, 2025, before a family court in Bandra under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act. Along with the petition, they had also submitted a plea requesting to waive the six-month statutory cooling-off period. However, on February 20, the family court refused to waive the period, citing incomplete compliance with the consent terms agreed upon by both parties.

According to the consent agreement, Chahal agreed to pay permanent alimony of Rs 4.75 crore to Dhanashree Verma. Of this, Rs 2.37 crore and Rs 55,000 have already been paid. The family court considered the remaining unpaid amount as partial compliance, which led to the initial refusal to waive the cooling-off period. However, the Bombay High Court took a different view and ruled in favour of the waiver, fast-tracking the legal process.

Reports about the couple’s separation first surfaced in February, months after social media buzz suggested growing distance between them. Fans noticed that Chahal and Dhanashree were no longer seen together in photos or public appearances, fuelling speculation.

Among several false claims doing the rounds, one viral report alleged that Dhanashree had demanded Rs 60 crore as alimony. Her family strongly denied this, calling it completely baseless.  

 “We are deeply outraged by the baseless claims being circulated about the alimony figure. Let me be absolutely clear—no such amount has ever been asked, demanded, or even offered. There is no truth to these rumors whatsoever. It is deeply irresponsible to publish such unverified information, dragging not just the parties but also their families into unnecessary speculation. Reckless reporting like this only causes harm, and we urge the media to exercise restraint and fact-check before spreading misinformation and also be respectful towards everyone’s privacy,” a family member stated.