Hardik Pandya, Natasa Stankovic "Mutually Part Ways", Say Son "Agastya Will Continue To..."

The India vs Sri Lanka T20I and ODI series, which starts later this month, will begin a new chapter for Indian cricket. Under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, the side will embark on a mission to add to more laurels. The sides picked bear interesting looks with the biggest change being the T20I captaincy. After Rohit Sharma retired from the format after the T20 World Cup 2024 win, it was thought that designated vice-captain Hardik Pandya would be promoted as the skipper. 

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic

In a joint Instagram post on Thursday, Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic wrote: "After 4 years of being together, Natasa and I have decided to mutually part ways. We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe that this is in the best interest for the both of us. This was a tough decision for us to make, given  the joy, mutual respect and companionship we enjoyed together and as we grew a family.

"We are blessed with Agastya, who will continue to be at the centre of both our lives and we will co-parent to ensure that we give him everything that we can for his happiness. We sincerely request your support and understanding to give us the privacy during this difficult and sensitive time. Hardik/Natasa"

The first rumours that the two were dating came around 2018 and then in an instagram post in 2019, Natasa referred Pandya as 'best friend'. The two got engaged on January 1, 2020 and welcomed son Agastya same year in July. Pandya and Natasa renewed their vows in Udaipur on February 14, 2023.

The couple was often spotted together at social gatherings and they were loved by the cameras. Like Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma, the duo was yet another instance of an Indian cricketer marrying an actor. But from May, 2024, rumours started doing the rounds that all was not well in the marriage.

Earlier, the duo was pro-active in posting their images together. Suddenly, the last few months saw that getting stopped completely. While Natasa earlier went to IPL matches where Pandya played, in IPL 2024 no such thing was visible. It started rumours that the two were heading for separation. With Thursday's development, the rumours have been confirmed.