The divorce of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and choreographer-influencer Dhanashree Verma has been in the spotlight for months, but a recent revelation has stirred fresh discussion. Dhanashree opened up in a podcast about the emotional toll of the proceedings and sharply criticised Chahal for what she described as an unnecessary “stunt” during their final court hearing.
Almost a month after the separation was formalised, Chahal spoke about the matter publicly. Around the same time, Dhanashree recounted her experience to Humans of Bombay, describing her emotional breakdown on the day of the verdict and expressing disbelief over Chahal’s choice of clothing.
She revealed that on the day of the final divorce hearing, Chahal walked in wearing a T-shirt with the words “Be Your Own Sugar Daddy”. According to her, it was a move that turned their private pain into public spectacle. “I still remember when I was standing there and the verdict was about to be given. Even though we were so well-prepared mentally, I got so emotional. I started howling in front of everybody. I couldn’t even express what I was feeling at that point. I just remember that I just kept crying, I was just howling and crying. Of course! All of that happened, and he (Chahal) walked out first,” she said.
Addressing the viral T-shirt moment, Dhanashree did not hold back. “You know that people are going to blame you. Before I had even known that this T-shirt stunt had happened, we were all aware that people were going to blame me for this,” she said. She further added that Chahal could have taken a more private route instead of fuelling gossip with a slogan tee. “Are bhai, WhatsApp kar deta. T-shirt kyun pehna hai? (You should have sent it on WhatsApp. Why wear the T-shirt?),” she remarked, underlining her surprise and disappointment.
Chahal, on the other hand, explained his side in Raj Shamani’s podcast, insisting that he never cheated and was unfairly painted as disloyal during the breakup. “When I was going through the divorce thing, people labelled me as a cheater. I have never cheated. You will not get a more loyal person than me. For my loved ones, I think from my heart. I have never asked, just given. When you don’t know, you are writing. I have two sisters, I know how to respect girls,” he said.
He also pointed out that media speculation added to his struggles. “Just because you are seen with someone, you will link up with someone and write for views. The problem is if you react once, they will be more people who will come knowing you will react,” Chahal added.
The couple, who married in December 2020 in Gurgaon, were once celebrated as a fan-favourite on social media. However, by February 2025, they were spotted outside Bandra Family Court filing for divorce through mutual consent. Though they requested a waiver for the six-month cooling-off period, the court denied it.
After living separately for 18 months, they legally parted ways on March 20, 2025. Reports suggest that Chahal paid an alimony of ₹4.75 crore to Dhanashree as part of the settlement.
While their marriage ended, the controversy around the T-shirt continues to fuel online debates. For Dhanashree, the gesture represented insensitivity during a deeply painful moment. For Chahal, it was overshadowed by the larger narrative of being unfairly accused of infidelity.
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