Hardik Pandya shares first post after rumours of divorce from Natasa Stankovic

Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya joined Team India in New York ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup opener against Ireland on June 5. The tournament, taking place from June 1 to 29, will be hosted across the West Indies and the USA. India's only warm-up game is scheduled for June 1 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York against Bangladesh. Pandya took to Instagram to announce his link-up with the Indian team. He was not among the first batch of players who arrived in the US for the World Cup.

Pandya announced that he is "on national duty" and has joined the Men in Blue ahead of the tournament. The Indian team vice captain took a break after IPL duties for a short vacation abroad, news reports said.

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A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93)

Hardik Pandya-Natasa Stankovic divorce rumours

Hardik Pandya's absence from the first batch of Indian players had heightened the speculation amid rumours that the Indian team vice captain and his wife Natasa Stankovic are headed for a divorce. Rumours swirled about Natasa Stankovic and Hardik Pandya after the Serbian actor dropped the 'Pandya' surname from her social media account. Pandya and Stankovic had got married in 2020 and later in 2023 had renewed their vows.

Also read: Natasa Stankovic drops another cryptic post of Mumbai roads amid rumours of Hardik Pandya divorce

Pandya's return to the national team follows a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Rejoining the Mumbai Indians (MI) after a successful two-year stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he led the team to a title in their debut season in 2022, Pandya faced significant backlash. Taking over from Rohit Sharma, MI's five-time IPL-winning captain, led to widespread criticism. Pandya was frequently booed in stadiums across India, and MI finished last in the league with four wins and ten losses. Despite his past contributions from 2015-21, Pandya struggled to deliver match-winning performances this season.

Also read: Hardik Pandya’s son Agastya seen with brother Krunal’s family amid divorce rumours

In 14 IPL matches, Pandya scored 216 runs at an average of 18.00 and a strike rate of 143.04, with a top score of 46. He also took 11 wickets, but his bowling average was a disappointing 35.18, and his economy rate was 10.75.

His batting prowess and pace bowling are crucial for India's success in the tournament. In 16 T20 World Cup matches, Pandya has scored 213 runs at an average of 23.66 and a strike rate of 136.53, with one half-century. He has also taken 13 wickets at an average of 25.30 and an economy rate of 9.13, with best figures of 3/30.

India's T20 World Cup campaign kicks off against Ireland at the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The much-anticipated clash against Pakistan is scheduled for June 9.

India aims to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, India has consistently reached the later stages of various tournaments but has fallen short of securing a title. They hope to win their first T20 World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 2007. In the previous edition in 2022, India lost to England in the semifinals.

Harbhajan Singh backs Hardik Pandya

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Pandya will regain his form in the T20 World Cup. Harbhajan acknowledged the difficulties Pandya faced during the IPL, including the fan backlash and team dynamics. However, he is confident that Pandya will rise to the occasion in the blue jersey.

"When he wears that blue jersey, he will be a different Hardik Pandya because we know he can score those runs and take those wickets. I want Hardik to come good as he has gone through a lot, and I wish him all the very best to have a very good tournament for India," Harbhajan told PTI in an interview.