‘Jab mujhe rona bhi tha…’ - Fans recall Hardik Pandya’s heart-wrenching World Cup winning speech after cricketer’s split with Natasa Stankovic

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic, on Thursday (July 18), confirmed their decision to separate after four years of marriage. The two issued a joint statement on social media to put an end to the rumours and speculations that have been circulating for a few months now.

“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,” the statement read.

Rumours of their separation started doing the rounds from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, where Pandya and his team Mumbai Indians (MI) experienced a terrible time. It intensified when Natasa went missing from India's recent T20 World Cup victory celebrations. While most of the Indian cricketer's partners were present at the venue to cheer and celebrate the historic moment, Natasa did not express her happiness even on social media.

All this time, Pandya has not uttered a single word about his and Natasa's breakup rumours. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old was seen emotional and in tears after playing a crucial role in defeating South Africa in a nervy final-over thriller. Fans on social media are now recalling his heart-wrenching speech after confirming his split with Natasa.

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Reflecting on his struggles and the trolling he received during the IPL 2024, Pandya said, "Jab mujhe rona bhi tha, mein nahi roya" ("Even when I felt like crying, I did not cry").

Check out the post below: 

The people of the entire country love my brother. Hardik Pandya has endured this pain alone for the last several months.❤️❤️#HardikPandya𓃵

Natasha#divorce pic.twitter.com/oWA2aYUASj

— Nagendra pandey (@nagendr_24) July 18, 2024

Pandya and Natasa are parents to their 3-year-old son Agastya. In the statement, the two confirmed that they will continue to co-parent their son. They also requested the media and fans to be given privacy during this difficult time.

“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 privacy during this difficult and sensitive time,” the statement added.