Indian all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya has spoken for the first time amid the controversy surrounding him and his wife Natasa Stankovic.
Hardik Pandya has been through a lot since he got injured in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at home. Since he sprained his right ankle on the ball during a league match against Bangladesh, Pandya has been marred by much controversy. It all started after his return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 auctions.
The all-rounder’s return to his first IPL franchise was accepted by the fans, but there was something else that they couldn’t digest at all. Mumbai Indians and the Rohit Sharma faithful could not accept the fact that the MI management had handed over the reins of Rohit’s captaincy to Hardik Pandya with a snap.
The news that Hardik Pandya would become the new captain was confirmed in November 2023, the same month in which India lost the World Cup final in Ahmedabad. MI fans started trolling Pandya to become the new captain and things got even uglier when the 2024 edition of the IPL began.
Wherever Hardik Pandya went, the crowd made sure to broadcast ridiculous chants. MI fans did nothing to motivate their new captain, but did everything they could to put the all-rounder in a negative space. Things became even more aggravated when Mumbai Indians struggled to win a match under Pandya’s captaincy.
All the blame for MI’s losses fell on Hardik Pandya and many former cricketers also criticized him for his poor captaincy skills. One of the main reasons why experts criticized him was the bowling changes during matches. Mumbai’s track record in the IPL, instead of changing, degraded further.
The five-time champions eventually finished 10th in the IPL 2024 points table and Kolkata Knight Riders won the tournament. After the MI season ended, Hardik Pandya flew to New York for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. And just a few weeks ago, reports started doing the rounds that Pandya and his wife Natasa Stankovic were getting divorced.
The topic is gaining popularity with each passing day and people on social media have made it a trend. Both Natasa and Hardik are yet to comment on the same and the information about their divorce is still unclear.
Hardik posts on X for the first time since divorce rumors with Natasa Stankovic
For national service 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/pDji7UkUSm
— Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya7) May 29, 2024
The Indian vice-captain posted on social media for the first time since divorce rumors with his wife Natasa Stankovic. He took to
His last post on X showed Indian players preparing for the World Cup and practicing at a local ground in New York.