‘Wedding called off’: Smriti Mandhana confirms split as Palash Muchhal warns against ‘baseless rumours’

India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has officially confirmed that her wedding had been called off, ending weeks of intense speculation following the postponement of her scheduled November 23 ceremony with music composer Palash Muchhal. Both have now issued separate statements addressing the matter and requesting privacy.

The 29-year-old cricketer broke her silence through an Instagram story on December 7, addressing persistent rumours about her personal life. "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," Mandhana wrote, making it clear that "the wedding is called off."

Mandhana was vice-captain of the Indian team that won the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. The left-handed batter had been riding a wave of professional success, having emerged as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer with 434 runs across nine matches at an average of 54.25, including one century and two fifties.

The wedding had originally been planned for November 23 at the Mandhana family farmhouse in Samdol, Maharashtra. However, the ceremony was halted after Mandhana's father, Shrinivas Mandhana, experienced cardiac symptoms on the morning of the wedding and required immediate hospitalisation. Days later, Muchhal himself was briefly admitted to hospital, reportedly due to stress from the situation.

Muchhal, 30, also shared his own message on Instagram. "I have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship," the Bollywood composer wrote. He described it as "the most difficult phase" of his life, expressing distress at how rapidly speculation had spread about matters he considered sacred.

"Its been very difficult for me to see people react so easily on baseless rumours about something which has been most sacred to me," Muchhal stated. He criticised the ease with which unverified gossip spreads online, noting: "Our words can wound in ways we may never understand. While we think about these things, many people in the world are facing drastic consequences."

Muchhal, who has been in a relationship with Mandhana since 2019, announced that his team would pursue legal action against those spreading false content. "My team will be taking strict legal action against those spreading false and defamatory content," he said, thanking supporters who had stood by him during the difficult period.

Muchhal made his Bollywood debut as a music composer at just 18 years old, working on the 2014 film Dishkiyaoon. His sister Palak is globally known for funding 3,800+ heart surgeries through charity concerts, a philanthropic mission Muchhal has supported throughout his life. He later ventured into filmmaking, directing the 2022 film Ardh starring Rajpal Yadav and Rubina Dilaik.

Mandhana, described by Muchhal as maintaining privacy about personal matters, requested space for both families to heal. "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 wrote.

The cricketer emphasised her commitment to representing India, stating: "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."

The cricketer concluded her statement with gratitude: "Thank you for all your support. It's time to move forward."