The Bombay High Court has granted Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma, a waiver of the mandatory six-month cooling-off period in their ongoing divorce case. The court directed the family court to finalize the divorce by March 20, considering Chahal’s upcoming participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which begins on March 22.

Chahal and Verma, who married in December 2020, have been living separately since June 2022. They filed for divorce in February this year under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, which allows mutual consent divorce. The cooling-off period is typically granted to allow couples time for reconciliation, but given their prolonged separation, the High Court deemed it unnecessary.

The case faced an initial setback when the family court denied the waiver on February 20, citing Chahal's partial compliance with the consent terms. He had agreed to pay ₹4.75 crore in alimony but had only paid ₹2.37 crore. However, on Wednesday, the High Court overturned the decision, ruling that their extended separation justified the waiver. The family court has now been instructed to rule on the divorce petition by March 20.