Indian superstar cricketer Hardik Pandya and his wife Natasa Stankovic have announced that they have “mutually parted ways” via an Instagram statement.
The couple said they “gave it their all” and “tried (their) best together”, but this is “in the best interest” of both.
Their statement read: “After 4 years of being together, Hardik and I have decided to mutually part ways.
“We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe 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.”
Hardik and Natasa said their son Agastya will continue to be part of their lives.
They also requested privacy from the media during these tough times.
The announcement follows long-running rumours about their marriage.
Speculation that they had separated first came to light when a Reddit post titled Natasa and Hardik separated? started to gain traction.
The Reddit user pointed out that Natasa had removed ‘Pandya’ from her Instagram bio.
Hardik also did not acknowledge her birthday on March 4.
But what raised a lot of concern was that Natasa had removed all pictures of her and Hardik on social media.
Natasa Stankovic had also not been seen at any of Hardik Pandya’s IPL games or posted anything about India’s World Cup win.
These rumours were substantiated in July 2024 when Natasa posted a cryptic video on her Instagram Story about “removing a problem” from her life.
The couple began dating in 2018 and became Instagram official when Natasa called Hardik her “best friend”.
They got married on May 31, 2020, and welcomed their son Agastya in July of that year.
Hardik and Natasa renewed their vows in Udaipur in February 2023 and were very active on their social media, posting images of each other.
They had frequently been spotted together at social gatherings and were often captured by the paparazzi.
Therefore, rumours of their split gained more traction the longer the two did not post each other on social media or were pictured out together.
Many fans on social media are sending love to the cricketer, with one user saying:
“The people of the entire country love my brother. Hardik Pandya has endured this pain alone for the last several months.”
