There are celebrity splits that turn ugly fast — the courtroom battles, the public mud-slinging, the children caught in the crossfire. And then there are stories like this one, that quietly restore your faith in people. Hardik Pandya, India’s flamboyant cricket all-rounder, has done something this week that has nothing to do with a six over long-on or a late-innings wicket — and yet, it may be the most talked-about thing he’s done in months.
He gifted his four-year-old son Agastya and ex-wife Natasa Stankovic a brand-new black Land Rover Defender, reportedly valued at Rs 4 crore. And that personalized sign inside the showroom? That’s what really got people.
The Gesture That Went Viral
Photos from a Mumbai showroom began circulating on social media this week, showing Natasa Stankovic and little Agastya with the gleaming black SUV. But it wasn’t just the car that caught people’s attention — it was the handwritten message placed alongside it.
“PAPA TO AGASTYA: Get set with you on eternal adventures.”
Five words that cut right through the noise of a celebrity breakup and said something simple and profound: I’m still here. I’m still Dad.
Cricket analyst Mufaddal Vohra was among the first to share the moment on X, writing: “Hardik Pandya gifts his son and ex-wife a new Land Rover Defender.” The post racked up thousands of likes within hours, with fans flooding the comments section with reactions that were unusually warm for the internet.
“Relationships might change but the duty of a father never expires,” one user wrote. Another added: “Maturity is putting your child’s happiness above everything.”
Hard to argue with either of those.
About the Car: No Ordinary Gift
For those wondering what Rs 4 crore actually gets you in the SUV world — quite a lot, it turns out.
The black Land Rover Defender 110 that Pandya gifted comes equipped with a 3.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine producing 394 bhp, full all-wheel drive, 291 mm of ground clearance, and Land Rover’s signature Terrain Response system that makes off-road driving genuinely capable rather than merely cosmetic. Inside, an 11.4-inch touchscreen keeps things modern and tech-forward.
The choice of the Defender 110 is fascinating. Unlike the unibody structures of most luxury SUVs, the D7x architecture of the Defender is the stiffest body structure Land Rover has ever produced. For a father gifting a car to his son, this isn’t just a luxury choice; it’s a safety choice. The high-torsional rigidity makes it one of the safest environments for a child on Indian roads—a technical detail that adds another layer to Hardik’s gesture.”
It’s a serious vehicle — built for both school runs through Mumbai traffic and hypothetical weekend getaways to the hills. Which, if you read that personalized note again, seems entirely intentional.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first Defender in Natasa’s garage. She reportedly purchased an orange variant of the same model in late 2025 for Rs 3.04 crore. Pandya, it appears, has a type when it comes to gifting.
The Backstory: A Separation Handled With Dignity
Hardik Pandya and Serbian actress and model Natasa Stankovic announced their separation in July 2024 after roughly four years of marriage. The couple, who had tied the knot in a private ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, confirmed the split in a joint statement — choosing, notably, to do it together, without blame and without drama.
Their son Agastya, born in July 2020, has remained the clear priority for both parents. And if this week’s gesture is any indication, that priority hasn’t shifted an inch.
Pandya himself has been in the public eye for multiple reasons lately — leading India in T20 internationals, performing in the IPL, and reportedly spending time with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma. But amid all the cricket and the cameras, this quieter act of fatherhood has arguably landed with more impact than any of his recent performances on the pitch.
Why This Moment Resonated So Deeply
Here’s the thing about celebrity culture — we’re conditioned to expect the worst from high-profile breakups. The gossip columns are practically built on it. So when something genuinely decent surfaces, people don’t quite know what to do with it at first. Then they share it. And share it again.
The reason Pandya’s gesture struck such a chord isn’t really about the car. A Rs 4 crore Land Rover is extraordinary by every measure, yes — but it’s the intention behind it that people responded to. The message wasn’t about Natasa. It was written to his son. It was a father telling a four-year-old boy, in the most tangible way possible: adventures await, and I’ll be part of them.
That’s not a PR stunt. That’s parenting.
A Final Thought
I’ve been covering cricket and the lives around it for a while now, and I’ll be the first to admit that we — journalists, fans, commentators alike — are often too quick to reduce sportspeople to their statistics or their controversies. Pandya has had plenty of both over the years.
But this week, he reminded everyone that beyond the IPL captaincies and the social media following and the designer outfits, there’s a dad who wanted his little boy to know that no matter what changes between the grown-ups, the adventures they’ll share haven’t even begun yet.
That’s a good story. It deserves to be told well.
Have thoughts on this story? Share them in the comments below. And if you found this worth your time, pass it on — these are the moments that deserve to travel.
Team Cricket Duniya is a dedicated group of sports and entertainment writers specializing in cricket news, match previews, reviews, and in-depth analysis. With strong domain expertise and a passion for the game, the team delivers accurate, timely, and well-researched content covering international cricket, domestic tournaments, and trending sports stories. Alongside cricket, the team also covers key developments in sports entertainment, ensuring readers receive reliable insights and engaging coverage from the world of sports and entertainment.
