What started as an unexpected lockdown love story between cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and choreographer Dhanashree Verma ended in controversy and blame. Social media was quick to point fingers—mostly at her. But is the truth that simple?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It all began in the most unexpected way. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when the world had come
00:04to a standstill, people were adopting new hobbies. Yuzvendra Chahal, India's star leg spinner back
00:10then, decided to learn to dance. And his instructor, Dhan Sri Varma, a vibrant choreographer whose
00:16moves could make anyone believe they had rhythm. Their online dance lessons soon turned into
00:21something more. Conversations grew longer apparently, laughter became frequent, and before
00:26they knew it, love had taken over. In August 2020, they surprised fans with their engagement,
00:32and by December, they were married in an intimate ceremony in Gurugram. Social media adored them.
00:37Yuzhi, the fun-loving cricketer and Dhan Sri, the energetic choreographer, seemed like a perfect
00:43match. But fame invites scrutiny, and soon cracks began to appear. Not just in their marriage, but
00:50in how the world viewed Dhan Sri. The first wave of criticism came when she was seen dancing with
00:55Shreyas Iyer. A friendly performance turned into a controversy, with people questioning her closeness
01:00to Yuzhi's friends. Then came the IPL events, where simple pictures of cricketers led to accusations
01:05of being too friendly. Haven't we heard that before? For many, a married woman simply being
01:10friendly with her husband's peers was unacceptable. The gold digger accusations started brewing,
01:16but the worst came in March 2024, when a cozy picture with the choreographer sparked cheating
01:20rumours. Social media erupted with abuse, with many declaring she is cheating on Yuzhi.
01:25In 2022, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Dhan Sri had removed Chahal from her Instagram bio.
01:30Soon after, Yuzhi posted a cryptic story, new life loading, he said. Speculation ran wild.
01:36Was she leaving him? Using him for fame? The backlash was swift, branding her a gold digger
01:41and opportunist. Despite their attempts to hold on, the love that once flourished over dance routines
01:46had apparently faded. By 2024, they were living separately, and on February 2025,
01:53they apparently divorced, according to a flurry of media reports. And as expected, the blame fell
01:58almost entirely on Dhan Sri. While Yuzhi was showered with sympathy, Dhan Sri was vilified.
02:03Every dance, every photo and every move was dissected as proof of betrayal. But what if
02:09she wasn't at fault? What if they simply grew apart? What if the pressures of being a public
02:13couple weighed too heavily on them? Why is it always the woman who's vilified, painted as a
02:18villain, while the man is consoled? The truth is, no one outside their marriage will ever fully
02:24understand what went wrong. As Yuzhi looks like he's moving on, and Dhan Sri finds her own peace,
02:29perhaps, maybe it's time for the world to do the same, to stop vilifying women every time a
02:34relationship ends, to recognize that sometimes love simply fades, and that it's no one's fault.