Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal called off their wedding on Sunday, almost a month after pictures of their proposal went viral on the internet.
Initially, the couple unexpectedly postponed their November 24 wedding and later announced that they were calling it quits. Ending days of speculation that had been brewing since the postponement, Mandhana, who rarely addresses her personal life publicly, confirmed the development through an Instagram story.
“Over the past few weeks, there has been plenty of speculation around my life, and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote. “I am a very private person, and I would like to keep it that way, but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.”
She added that she wished to “close this matter here”, urging the public to extend privacy to both families as they “process and move on at our own pace”.
Mandhana reiterated that her priority remains cricket — her “higher purpose”.
“I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all, and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level. I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be. Thank you for all your support. It’s time to move forward,” she added.
Muchhal, in a separate statement released around the same time, addressed the pressure of speculation more directly.
“I have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship,” he said, calling the past few weeks “the most difficult phase” of his life.
He criticised the rapid spread of “baseless rumours” online, he announced that his team would take legal action against those “spreading false and defamatory content”.
“I truly hope we as a society learn to pause before judging someone based on unverified gossip, whose sources are never identified. Our words can wound in ways we may never understand,” he wrote.
“My team will be taking strict legal action against those spreading false and defamatory content,” he added.
The couple’s relationship captured significant public attention in recent months — most notably after Muchhal’s much-talked-about romantic on-field proposal to Mandhana in November at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the same venue where India lifted the Women’s World Cup trophy in September.
Following their respective announcements, both unfollowed each other on Instagram. Mandhana also deleted all engagement- and wedding-related photos and videos, including the widely-shared proposal clip.
According to NDTV Sports, Mandhana’s father suffered a sudden health scare on the morning of the wedding, displaying symptoms consistent with a heart-related issue and was rushed to hospital. Soon after, Muchhal too was briefly hospitalised — prompting both families to delay the wedding indefinitely.
The Hindustan Times noted that while the situation raised questions, Muchhal’s family maintained that health remained the sole concern.
However, public conversation soon spiralled as unverified rumours about Muchhal’s personal conduct emerged online during the postponement period. NDTV reported that “allegations of infidelity and flirtatious digital communication” began circulating across social media — claims Muchhal’s family dismissed as “baseless”.
Mandhana and Muchhal first met in 2019 through mutual friends, but only made their relationship public in 2024, celebrating their engagement shortly before their planned wedding date.
Cover image: Palash Muchhal via Nelivetv/Instagram
