Smriti Mandhana confirms wedding with Palash Muchhal called off, requests privacy for both families

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana on Sunday confirmed that her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal has been called off. Ending weeks of speculation regarding her personal life, Mandhana took to her Instagram story to issue a statement, while requesting privacy for both families.

Smriti and Palash were in a relationship for over five years and were originally scheduled to tie the knot on November 23. However, their wedding was postponed on the day of the marriage after Smriti's father complained of severe chest pain and was rushed to a hospital in Sangli, where the marriage ceremony was taking place.

Multiple rumours were doing the rounds on social media ever since their wedding got postponed. On Sunday, Mandhana finally ended the speculation surrounding her postponed marriage by confirming that it is not happening. However, the Indian cricketer didn't specify the reason for the same.

"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. 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," Mandhana wrote in her Instagram story.

"I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace," she added.

Smriti further reiterated her commitment towards playing cricket for India and doing well for the country. The Indian women's team vice-captain, who played an instrumental role in India's maiden ODI World Cup triumph in October this year, said she remains focused on winning trophies for India for as long as possible.

The Indian women's team star also unfollowed Palash on Instagram after releasing her statement. At the time of writing, Palash was still following Smriti on the social media platform.

After reportedly being in a relationship for over five years, Smriti and Palash decided to get married this year. The couple exchanged rings at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai after Palash arranged a dreamy proposal for the Indian cricketer at the venue, where India lifted their maiden Women's ODI World Cup trophy in October.

The wedding was expected to be a high-profile affair with several of Smriti's India teammates in attendance in Sangli. Her teammates posted a number of pictures and videos from the festivities, including the haldi and the mehendi ceremony of the couple. However, on the wedding day, the marriage was postponed indefinitely after the cricketer's father suffered a medical emergency.

A day after Smriti's father was hospital, reports emerged that Palash was also admitted to a hospital due to severe stress and anxiety. Both families decided to stall the wedding after the medical emergencies. However, within days, speculation and rumours started spreading on social media, with Palash being accused of cheating on Smriti.

Several of Smriti's India teammates unfollowed Palash on social media and started deleting pictures of their wedding. Palash's sister, Palak Muchhal, a popular singer, denied the rumours about him, calling them false and baseless, as both families maintained silence.

Smriti addressed the issue for the first time on Sunday, releasing a statement confirming that the wedding was called off. Meanwhile, Palash too released a statement on social media, stating that he is moving on from his relationship with Mandhana. The music composer also threatened legal action against those spreading "false and defamatory content" about him.

Smriti will be back in action for the Indian women's cricket team later this month. She will be part of the side when India take on Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series, starting December 21. The left-hand batter will then lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026, which is set to get underway on January 09.