Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his wife Dhanashree Verma are now legally divorced officially after an extended court battle. The couple got married in December 2020 and since June 2022, they were living separately. They had filed a mutual application for divorce on February 5, 2024, which was finally granted by the Mumbai family court on March 20.

Their personal life had been in the news since last year, with all the news headlines filled with speculations about them breaking up after 2022. Chahal and Dhanashree individually showed up in the Bandra family court for the final hearing of their divorce case.

Nitin Gupta, Chahal’s lawyer, confirmed the news. “The family court has granted the joint petition by Chahal and Verma for divorce by mutual consent,” he informed news agency ANI.

Chahal’s Viral T-Shirt Causes Brouhaha

After the court hearing, Chahal was seen in a black t-shirt with the inscription “Be your own sugar daddy.” The inscription has been met with controversy among fans and social media followers, sparking rumors and speculations on what it may mean.

Others viewed it as a thoughtless remark, while many were even contemplating whether it was an unofficial declaration of his independence after the divorce. The word is used most commonly associated with economic independence and empowerment and thus carries diverse meanings among netizens.

Legal Hurdles in the Divorce Process

While the spouses were in consensus about a mutual divorce, there were some legal intricacies along the way. The family court had initially declined to dispense with the mandatory cooling-off period, on the basis of partial compliance with the terms of consent.

According to the settlement, Chahal was supposed to pay Rs 4.75 crore as alimony to Dhanashree. But at the time of the first hearing of the case by the court, he had paid only Rs 2.37 crore. The court observed this as a partial payment of the terms of their settlement.

Aside from this, the report of the marriage counselor was such that there was partial compliance with regard to mediation attempts. Under these circumstances, the family court did not want to give the divorce to start with.

Bombay High Court’s Intervention

The tide in the case turned when the Bombay High Court stepped in on Wednesday, March 19. The court held that the conditions of consent had been met as the second tranche of the alimony payment became due only after the decree for divorce was granted.

In view of Chahal’s Indian Premier League (IPL) engagement with the present Indian Premier League, for which he represents Punjab Kings, the High Court ordered the case to be speeded up by the family court. Later, the family court on March 20, granted the divorce.

End of a High-Profile Marriage

Chahal and Dhanashree’s relationship was also in the public eye because both of them were public figures. Chahal has been India’s finest leg-spinner, while Dhanashree was a famous choreographer and social media influencer. The two would post their life’s moments on social media.

But divorce rumors had begun circulating in mid-2022. The otherwise picture-perfect couple was under increasing rumors of marital issues. Their lack of showing up together in each other’s social media posts and public events fueled the rumormongers as well.

Care for Career and Future Ahead

Now that the divorce has been approved, both Chahal and Dhanashree will be working on their individual careers. Chahal will be preparing for the IPL 2025 season, where he will be playing for Punjab Kings. He is a vital member of the white-ball cricket league of India and will be looking for enormous contributions in the next tournament. Dhanashree will keep going with her professional career as a dancer and social life too. She is most trending among users on the internet and has worked with many artists during her career.

The t-shirt slogan, “Be your own sugar daddy,” by Chahal is now on everyone’s lips. 

Social media is buzzing, and responses and memes are pouring in. Some of his fans came to the defense of Chahal’s statement as an act of independence, while others saw it as a coded comment aimed at his estranged wife.

Dhanashree, on the other hand, has maintained a low profile following their breakup trend. She has made no public statement regarding the breakup so far.