Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan.— AFP
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has been faraway from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 commentary panel following a collection of complaints from gamers concerning his commentary fashion, Indian media reported citing sources.
The Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly made the choice after rising dissatisfaction from a number of cricketers who accused Pathan of biased evaluation and permitting private opinions to affect his commentary.
“It’s been happening for the last two years, where his personal biases were becoming evident,” mentioned a supply near the matter.
Gamers raised issues that Pathan was overly important of sure people, with tensions flaring over his remarks on Virat Kohli throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and criticism of Hardik Pandya’s return to home cricket.
One unnamed participant even blocked Pathan’s quantity, highlighting the deepening rift. Extra complaints cited a condescending tone throughout interviews and a perceived private agenda in his commentary.
Pathan’s exclusion overshadowed the opening match of IPL 2025, held on 22 March between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens.
The BCCI’s transfer mirrors earlier controversies in Indian cricket broadcasting. In 2020, Sanjay Manjrekar was equally faraway from the commentary crew after on-air disputes with gamers and colleagues.
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season started on 22 March with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens.
Nevertheless, the highlight quickly shifted from the pitch to the commentary field, with former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan lacking from the BCCI’s official commentary panel.
Pathan, an everyday voice in earlier seasons, was notably absent this 12 months. Studies recommend his elimination stemmed from discontent amongst a number of gamers concerning his commentary fashion. Allegations of bias and overly important evaluation have been on the coronary heart of the difficulty, with some cricketers feeling that Pathan’s private opinions have been creeping into his skilled commentary.
A key second of pressure was Pathan’s remarks on Virat Kohli throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which reportedly upset the star batsman. His criticism of Hardik Pandya’s home cricket return additionally fuelled discontent.
Sources revealed one unnamed participant went so far as blocking Pathan’s quantity. One supply mentioned, “It’s been happening for the last two years, where his personal biases were becoming evident.”
Some gamers additionally accused Pathan of adopting a condescending tone throughout interviews. With rising complaints, the BCCI reportedly determined it might not ignore the difficulty, finally resulting in his exclusion from the panel.
