Yuzvendra Chahal opens up on divorce with Dhanashree, says ‘I was faking it, had suicidal thoughts’

Chahal reflected on his five-year marriage and talked about his mental health challenges following cheating allegations and divorce speculation earlier this year.

After a long period of silence, Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal has finally addressed his separation from Dhanashree Varma, speaking in detail about the issue. He reflected on his five-year marriage and talked about his mental health challenges following cheating allegations and divorce speculation earlier this year.

Yuzvendra Chahal married Dhanashree Verma in 2020 after dating her for a brief period. The cracks in the relationship reportedly began to show by the third year of marriage. The star Indian spinner said that the two had chosen to keep their separation process private until it was finalised, he said in a podcast with Raj Shamani on the YouTube channel.

"It was going on for a long while. We decided we do not want to show the people. Who knew if it did not happen? Maybe it will become a different scenario. We were like, until we reached a point of no return, we are not going to say anything. We will be like a normal couple on social media," said Chahal.

When asked about whether he was faking it at during the that time, Chahal quickly responded with a nod, silently confirming the truth.

Chahal spoke further and said that the growing distance in his relationship with Dhanashree that both he and Dhanashree being heavily invested in their careers, which made it challenging to give their relationship the attention it needed. With each passing day, it became harder to maintain emotional closeness. He reflected that while every relationship demands compromise, mismatched ambitions or personalities can make things difficult.

“A relationship needs balance. When one is upset, the other listens. But when two people are driven and on different paths, it’s tough. I was playing for India, she was building her career, and over 1–2 years, I couldn’t give the relationship the attention it needed. Eventually, you stop trying. Ambition doesn’t mean you can’t be together, but it takes effort, and sometimes, priorities clash," Chahal added.

Chahal also opened up about being called a "cheater" during the divorce proceedings earlier this year.

“After my divorce, there were allegations of infidelity against me. I want to be clear—I have never cheated. Loyalty is who I am. I care deeply for those close to me and always give more than I ask. But when people who don’t know the facts keep blaming you, it really makes you question things,” Yuzi shared further.

"Because I have two sisters and have grown up with them since childhood, I know how to respect women, because my parents have taught me how to respect them. I've learnt my life lessons from people around me. It is not necessary that if my name is being linked to someone, people get to write anything about it, only for views," said the star ICT spinner.

Yuzi also admitted that facing public scrutiny and his struggles at the same time took a serious toll on his mental health. He revealed that he went through sleepless nights, slipped into depression, and even had suicidal thoughts.

Cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma tied the knot in December 2020. According to their petition, they separated in June 2022. On February 5, 2025, they jointly filed for divorce by mutual consent in the family court, and the Mumbai family court approved their joint divorce petition in May 2025.