India loves cricket and its cricketers. But we hate cricketers’ wives. Recently, Yuzvendra Chahal and his wife Dhanashree Verma found themselves at the centre of swirling divorce rumours, setting social media aflame with speculation. But while the gossip mills churned, the real takeaway wasn’t the state of their marriage – it was the relentless trolling directed at Dhanashree, reminding us again of cricket fanboys’ bizarre obsession with cricketers’ wives.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree

After Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma, a dancer and social media personality, unfollowed each other on Instagram, fans started speculating about a divorce. But that’s not exactly when the trolling began. After their wedding in 2020, fans wasted no time questioning her motives in the relationship. The cricket fanboys were sure that the only reason Dhanashree married Chahal was for money and fame.

But why is it that a cricketer’s wife always comes under fire? For Dhanashree, her popularity as an influencer seems to rub trolls the wrong way. Her dance reels and glamorous presence on Instagram have been criticised. Earlier in 2024, Dhanashree was trolled for posting a picture with a fellow choreographer. Gair mard, you see.

Why are trolls obsessed with cricketers’ wives?

Now that the rumours of Chahal and Dhanashree’s divorce are doing the rounds online, the trolling and abusing are worse than ever. People are leaving supportive comments on Chahal’s posts and hateful ones on Dhanashree’s Instagram. Some of these cricket fans have the audacity to lecture Dhanashree on being like Anushka Sharma, who supports and stands beside Virat Kohli at all times. But the irony here is way too strong. They are now supporting the same Anushka Sharma who was trolled for years due to Virat’s poor on-field performance. Her posters were burnt, and she was called “bad luck”, all because Virat was out of form.

Nataša Stanković, Hardik Pandya’s ex-wife, was abused and trolled for no other reason except that the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians team wasn’t performing well in the IPL in 2024. You can’t find logic here because none exists. When you’re too frustrated with your favourite players’ performances, troll the wife. If she supports her husband, troll her. If she doesn’t support her husband, troll her.

Many people are trolling Dhanashree for becoming famous after marrying Chahal. A comment reads, “Chahal nahi hota toh kaun jaanta tujhe”. While Dhanashree’s apparent lack of fame is a problem, Anushka Sharma’s abundance of it was also a problem because her stardom was distracting.

This isn’t just trolling

These fanboys act like cricketers are superheroes undone by their ‘wrong’ choice of partners. But how is any player’s personal life important when it comes to cricket? Why is it so difficult to keep a cricketer’s personal and professional lives apart?

Time to unfollow Dhanshree Varma on Instagram.

As cricket supporters, this is the least we can do !@yuzi_chahal #YuzvendraChahal pic.twitter.com/i1fVEQ32IX

— Amrit Pradhan (@amritpradhan63) January 5, 2025

The issue here isn’t just harmless trolling; it’s deep-rooted misogyny. These women are reduced to being the “wives of cricketers,” with their own identities and achievements dismissed entirely.

When will cricket fans start thinking of their favourite players as capable adults responsible for their own actions? When will we stop abusing women just because they married or divorced a famous man?

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