Marriage in December 2020
Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma married in December 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Chahal signed up for Dhanashree Verma’s YouTube dance classes. This led to a meeting, friendship, and eventually romance between the cricketer and the Mumbai-based dentist and choreographer. They married in December 2020. Dhanashree then shared dance reels with her husband on Instagram, which were very popular with fans. They frequently posted short, humorous videos, quickly becoming a favourite celebrity couple online.
Divorce Rumours in 2022
The first rumours of separation surfaced in August 2022. Chahal himself fuelled speculation with a cryptic Instagram story, “New Life Loading”. Dhanashree then removed Chahal’s surname from her Instagram handle, intensifying the gossip. After the intense speculation, Chahal had to issue a statement. He posted on Instagram: “A humble request to everyone to stop believing in any such rumours regarding our relationship. Please put an end to it. Love to all.”
Photo with Pratik Utekar
However, things escalated when a photo of Dhanashree with choreographer Pratik Utekar surfaced online, showing them embracing. Amidst the already circulating separation rumours, this was interpreted as her dating Utekar. Utekar addressed the rumours in a post, stating: “The world is so free that it can’t make stories, can’t comment, and can’t just send a photo DM of whatever it sees… Grow up guys.”
Linked with Cricketer Shreyas Iyer
Pratik Utekar wasn’t the only person linked to Dhanashree Verma amidst the separation rumours. She was also linked to fellow cricketer Shreyas Iyer. A dance video of Shreyas and Dhanashree went viral in 2021, and they were seen together on several occasions.
Accusations of “Ruining” Chahal’s Life
Trolls then refocused their attention on Dhanashree. Her social media comment sections were flooded with abusive and misogynistic comments. She was attacked and accused of “ruining” Chahal’s life. The Instagram celebrity faced months of relentless hateful comments, including alleged demands for ₹60 crore in alimony, which she explicitly denied.
Celebrity Divorce Creates Social Media Frenzy
After Yuzvendra Chahal agreed to pay Verma ₹4.75 crore in alimony (₹2.37 crore already paid), the news further fueled social media animosity towards Dhanashree Verma. One user wrote: “Dhanashree Verma is educated. She is empowered. She earns well. There are no children from the marriage, yet she is taking ₹4.25 crore alimony from Chahal after a marriage of only 18 months. Then feminists have a problem with the term gold digger.”
Users Question Dhanashree
Another user wrote: “Dhanashree claims to be a self-made, hardworking woman who never used anyone for success. Yet she asks for ₹4.75 crore alimony for 818 days, while Chahal earns ₹50,611 per day.” Another user questioned the alimony decision: “What were the Lords thinking while pronouncing the alimony? The biggest asset Yuzi gave Dhanashree was connections and fame, which she will benefit from for life.”
‘Alimony Unjustified’
Another post commenting on the news deemed the alimony settlement unfair: “Stop alimony abuse. Dhanashree gained fame after marrying Chahal and made a lot of money from it. She is doing very well in life and can afford her expenses. Yet the court allowed her to ask for ₹4.75 crore alimony and Yuzi Chahal agreed to pay. By doing so, the government is setting an example that alimony is mandatory. This is not justified. Alimony is for those who are not financially independent, it’s not free payment.”
