Did Sania Mirza divorce Shoaib Malik? Tennis star's father responds ...

Sania Mirza's father Imran Mirza on Saturday, January 20 responded to Shoaib Malik marrying Pakistan actor Sana Javed, saying the tennis star unilaterally divorced the Pakistan cricketer. Shoaib Malik announced on Saturday that he had tied the knot with Sana, whom he was rumoured to be dating even as speculation was rife about his separation with Sania Mirza.

Sania's father Imran Mirza told PTI that "it was a 'khula'", which refers to the right of a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband.

Both Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik kept tight-lipped about speculation about their separation, keeping their personal affairs under the lid. However, on Wednesday, January 17, shared a cryptic post about 'divorce' on Instagram, fuelling the speculations.

Sania Mirza, who is currently part of the Australian Open commentary panel for the broadcasters in India, has not spoken in public about the rumours of their separation.

On Saturday, both Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed took to social media to share photos from their wedding ceremony. The popular Pakistan actor also changed her Instagram bio from Sana Javed to Sana Shoaib Malik, confirming their wedding.

WHO IS SANA JAVED, NOW SANA SHOAIB MALIK

Rumours of Shoaib Malik dating Sana Javed surfaced in February last year when the Pakistan cricketer wished the actor on her birthday, sharing a photo of them together. "Happy Birthday Buddy," Malik wrote in the post which was widely shared online. Sana Javed, who appears in Pakistan television, had divorced Umair Jaswal, a popular singer, in 2023 after three years of marriage.

41-year-old Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza did not confirm rumours of their divorce and even celebrated their son, Izhaan Mirza Malik's 5th birthday in Dubai last year. Even when Sania Mirza played her last Grand Slam match at the Australian Open last year, Shoaib Malik penned a heartfelt note, lauding her career achievements. The two sports stars even hosted a talk show together in the UAE last year.

On Saturday, Shoaib Malik turned up for Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League 2024 against Rangpur Riders in the 3rd match fo the tournament at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Shoaib picked up a wicket and chipped in with the bat for Fortune Barishal.