In a significant development regarding the divorce case of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his wife, Dhanashree Verma, the Bombay High Court has granted the couple an exemption from the mandatory 6-month cooling-off period typically required after filing for divorce. The court has directed the family court to resolve their divorce petition by March 20, considering Chahal’s upcoming participation in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on March 22.
According to Bar and Bench, “The Bombay High Court has overturned a Family Court decision that denied the request to waive the statutory cooling-off period for the divorce of cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma under the Hindu Marriage Act. A bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar has also instructed the family court to decide the divorce petition by tomorrow, in light of Chahal’s involvement in the forthcoming IPL.”
The couple, who tied the knot in December 2020, has been living separately since June 2022. They filed for divorce in February 2025 at the Bandra Family Court, alongside a request to waive the standard cooling-off period.
Under Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a family court can consider a mutual divorce petition only after a 6-month waiting period, allowing the couple to explore reconciliation. However, given the couple’s two-year separation, the Bombay High Court ruled that the cooling-off period was not applicable in their case.
As part of the divorce settlement, Chahal had agreed to pay Rs 4.75 crore in alimony to Dhanashree, but has so far paid only Rs 2.37 crore. The court viewed this non-payment as non-compliance, initially leading to the rejection of the cooling-off waiver.
Recently, Chahal was one of the most expensive acquisitions in the 2025 IPL auction, purchased for a staggering ₹18 crore by Punjab Kings after being released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 18th edition of the T20 tournament.