Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has not been included in the commentary panel for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Reports suggest that broadcasters overlooked him due to allegations of bias and making critical remarks about specific players.
Since retiring, Pathan has been a regular commentator in both English and Hindi for IPL matches and India’s international games. However, he was left out ahead of IPL 2025, with a Times of India report stating that broadcasters were displeased with his social media activity, which allegedly targeted certain players and reflected personal grudges from past disputes.
The report quoting sources indicate that Pathan had a previous disagreement with a few players and has since been vocal about them, sometimes indirectly involving junior cricketers. His remarks on social media were seen as taking subtle jabs, further straining his position.
Pathan is not the first high-profile commentator to face such consequences. In 2020, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was reportedly removed from BCCI’s commentary panel after his controversial “bits and pieces” remark about Ravindra Jadeja during the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Pathan has launched his own YouTube channel, suggesting he may continue engaging with cricket audiences through alternative platforms.
