Chahal Agrees to Pay Rs 4.75 Cr Alimony to Estranged Wife

A significant development has emerged in the divorce case of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma.

The Bombay High Court has allowed the couple to waive the mandatory six-month cooling-off period following their divorce petition. The court has also directed the family court to finalize their divorce plea by March 20.

Legal news portal Bar and Bench reported on X (formerly Twitter): "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 directed the family court to decide the divorce petition by tomorrow, considering Chahal's participation in the upcoming IPL."

According to Bar and Bench, Chahal and Dhanashree, who married in December 2020, had been living separately since June 2022. They officially filed for divorce in February this year at the Bandra Family Court and simultaneously requested a waiver of the cooling-off period.

As per Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a mutual divorce petition can only be considered after six months from its filing, allowing the couple time to explore the possibility of reconciliation.

However, given that Chahal and Dhanashree had already been apart for more than two years, the Bombay High Court deemed the cooling-off clause inapplicable in their case.

Dispute Over Alimony Payment

The court proceedings faced complications when, on February 20, the family court initially rejected the couple’s plea to waive the six-month waiting period.

The decision was based on partial non-compliance with the agreed-upon consent terms between Chahal and Dhanashree.

As part of their settlement, Chahal had agreed to pay Dhanashree a permanent alimony of ₹4.75 crore. However, the court noted that the cricketer had only paid ₹2.37 crore so far, with the remaining amount still due. The non-payment was cited as non-compliance, leading to the rejection of their cooling-off plea.

Following a review of the family counselor’s report, which highlighted the incomplete payment, the Bombay High Court ruled in favor of waiving the waiting period, considering that the couple had already spent over two and a half years apart.

The family court has now been directed to finalize the divorce by Thursday (March 20), taking into account Chahal’s commitments for the IPL 2025 season.