'I was faking it, had suicidal thoughts': Yuzvendra Chahal breaks silence on divorce, mental health battle
NEW DELHI: India leg-spinner
Yuzvendra Chahal
has opened up about his divorce from influencer and choreographer Dhanashree Verma, revealing the emotional turmoil and mental health struggles he endured during the difficult phase of his life.
In a deeply personal conversation on Raj Shamani's podcast, Chahal admitted that the separation was not sudden but had been a long, private process. The couple kept their struggles off social media, projecting normalcy until they were certain about ending their marriage.
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'It was going on for a long while,' Chahal said. 'We decided we do not want to show the people... We were like, until we reach the point of the end, we are not going to say anything.
We will be like a normal couple on social media. Yes, I was faking it.'
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Reflecting on their incompatibility, Chahal spoke about how both he and Dhanashree were deeply invested in their careers and struggled to find common ground. 'A relationship is like a compromise. If one gets angry, the other has to listen… Two ambitious people can stay together, but everyone has their own lives, their own goals.'
The most disturbing aspect, he shared, was the vicious rumours surrounding the breakup.
'When I was going through the divorce thing, people labeled me as a cheater. I have never cheated. You won't get a more loyal person than me,' he said. 'Just because you're seen with someone, people link you up and write for views. I have two sisters, I know how to respect women.'
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Chahal also admitted that the mental strain pushed him to the edge. 'For one month, I used to sleep for only two hours. I had suicidal thoughts, I shared them with my friends,' he revealed.
'I needed a break from cricket. Even on the field, my mind wasn't there.'
On his viral T-shirt that read "Be your own sugar daddy", which he wore to court, Chahal cryptically added, 'Something happened from the other side, so I wanted to give this message.'
Despite the turmoil, Chahal says the separation was peaceful and mutual. 'If things are happening between two people, they can still happen with peace,' he said.
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