Hardik Pandya, the vice-captain of Team India for the T20 World Cup 2024, is reportedly on a vacation abroad without his wife Natasa Stankovic amidst their divorce rumours. The 30-year-old also missed the flight to the USA with his teammates to be a part of the T20 World Cup, but he is expected to join them in New York before the first practice session begins.
As per the Cricbuzz report, Hardik Pandya left India shortly after the IPL 2024 campaign of the five-time champions Mumbai Indians ended on an abysmal note. Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, MI finished in 10th and last place on the points table, following which the all-rounder decided to go on a vacation overseas to revitalise himself ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Shortly after Mumbai Indians played their final match in the IPL 2024 campaign, the rumours of Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic separating with each other went viral on social media. And since Stankovic didn’t join Pandya on a vacation abroad, opting to stay in India instead, the speculations around the married couple in regard to what’s really happening in their personal life, have intensified.
Moreover, the head coach of Mumbai Indians, Mark Boucher, spoke at length about the chatter around Hardik Pandya after the team played their final match in the IPL 2024. He said, “A lot of the stuff that he's going through is, personally, maybe a little uncalled for. It'll certainly be a learning curve for Hardik as his growth in leadership. While times are tough now, a couple of things will pass and it'll make him a tougher leader and it'll certainly grow him in the role as well.”
The Indian cricket team will be hoping that Hardik Pandya arrives in the USA in the right frame of mind to give his best on the field during the T20 World Cup 2024. The all-rounder has been one of the most valuable assets for India for years, but he needs to perform at his optimum level for the team to have any real chance of winning their first ICC trophy in a decade.