'Cheated on wife while she was pregnant; I forgave him several times, suffered severe anxiety and depression'

MUMBAI: Rumours linking Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal to allegations of cheating on his former wife Dhanashree Verma while she was pregnant have gone viral on social media. The speculation follows the circulation of a clip from an old podcast interview featuring actor and radio jockey Mahvash.

In a podcast interview with Pinkvilla, Mahvash spoke openly about a past relationship. She said she fell in love with a man she met on Facebook when she was 19 and living in Aligarh. She was so serious about the relationship that she even had disagreements with her family over her desire to marry him. However, she said she forgave him several times despite his repeated infidelity. The relationship also took a serious toll on her mental health.

Mahvash revealed that she suffered severe anxiety and depression and had to seek hospital treatment. When she shared her condition with her then-fiancé, he mocked her instead of offering support. She later learnt that the man had married someone else and eventually got divorced after cheating on his pregnant wife. It was in this context that she made a remark suggesting that "once a cheater, always a cheater".

After a clip from the podcast was shared widely on social media, speculation began that Mahvash was referring to Chahal. Their previous appearances together at public events and other occasions also fuelled rumours about the two.

Chahal's divorce from Dhanashree Verma was finalised in March 2025. However, there is no evidence to establish that the past relationship described by Mahvash had any connection with Chahal or Dhanashree.

The controversy appears to have emerged from attempts to link Mahvash's personal experience to Chahal's life. There is also no confirmation that Dhanashree was pregnant at the time of her divorce from Chahal.