Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has publicly discussed the mental health impact of his divorce from Dhanashree Verma, revealing he experienced panic attacks and struggled with alcohol, leading to a 26-day stay in a rehabilitation centre. Chahal and Dhanashree married in December 2020 and formally ended their marriage by mutual consent in March 2025.
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Yuzvendra Chahal has spoken openly about how his separation from Dhanashree Verma — a choreographer and actor — affected his personal life, his mental state, and his performances on the cricket field. He described bouts of anxiety that escalated into panic attacks, a period of heavy drinking, and a 26-day stay at a rehabilitation facility before he felt able to regain control of his life.
Sitting down with Aakash Chopra for a podcast conversation, Chahal discussed the personal difficulties that followed his split from Dhanashree. He spoke about the importance of balance in life, acknowledging that putting it into practice in real circumstances is not straightforward — particularly when navigating the pressures of personal hardship alongside professional responsibilities. He said that during the period following the divorce, circumstances had become difficult to manage, and that his mental state during that time had not been stable.
Recounting that period, Chahal spoke about the moment he recognised that the personal struggles weighing on him required proper attention — before they began to affect the thing he valued most. "Yaani ki cricket," Chahal remarked, summing up his thoughts on the matter.
He told reporters that keeping his drinking under control had proved a struggle throughout that difficult stretch of his life. He pointed to the support of family and close friends as a source of strength during that period, and noted that difficult times tend to reveal which people genuinely stand by a person.
Following his departure from cricket, he said he made the decision to stop drinking, describing it as a point at which he felt he was losing control over his own life. He subsequently stayed at a rehabilitation centre for a period of 26 days.
Chahal went on to describe how the mental health difficulties he faced eventually took a physical toll, with bouts of anxiety and panic attacks becoming part of that experience. Recounting how his health had deteriorated, he told reporters that things had gone quite wrong. He described a gradual onset of unease that eventually gave way to episodes of panic. He said the episodes left his pulse racing and caused visible changes in his facial expression, adding that anxiety, in his words, felt like a heart pounding frantically from within — and that during those periods, speaking coherently had been beyond him.
The couple, who formed their relationship during the Covid-19 pandemic and married in December 2020, have spoken about how panic attacks would cause Dhanashree's mouth to tighten and her lips to pull sharply to one side — a physical change visible to those around her. Reports pointing to friction in their partnership began circulating around mid-2024. Their divorce was finalised by joint agreement in March 2025.
The couple's time together — and the breakdown that followed — drew widespread public attention, with questions about fidelity forming part of the broader discussion around the end of their partnership. Chahal noted that the turmoil surrounding his divorce had carried over into his performance on the pitch.