Irfan Pathan Accused of ‘Personal Bias’, Left Out of IPL 2025 Commentary Panel
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has been excluded from the commentary team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. According to reports, broadcasters were unhappy with Pathan for allegedly bringing personal grudges into his on-air commentary and social media posts.
Since retiring from professional cricket, Irfan has been a prominent voice in IPL commentary. However, he was noticeably absent from the opening match of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday.
Why Was Irfan Pathan Dropped?
A Times of India (TOI) report states that broadcasters decided to remove Pathan due to concerns over his “personal bias” during broadcasts.
“Pathan had a fallout with a couple of players a few years ago. Since then, he has often referred to them aggressively in his commentary and social media posts. The issue was raised as it was affecting younger players who were caught in the crossfire. Even when he didn’t name them directly, his statements were perceived as personal attacks,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Irfan Pathan’s New Venture
Despite being dropped from IPL’s commentary panel, the 40-year-old has launched his YouTube channel, “Seedhi Baat With Irfan Pathan,” on March 22, where he will provide in-depth cricket analysis.
Not the First Time a Commentator Was Dropped
Irfan Pathan is not the first high-profile cricket personality to be removed from the commentary team.
- Sanjay Manjrekar was removed from BCCI’s commentary panel in 2020 for India’s ODI series against South Africa following his “bits and pieces” remark on Ravindra Jadeja during the 2019 ODI World Cup. Manjrekar later stated: “I have always considered commentary a privilege, not an entitlement. If my employers choose not to have me, I respect that. Maybe BCCI was not happy with my performance, and I accept that as a professional.”
- Harsha Bhogle was also removed from the IPL commentary panel in 2016, with many believing it was due to complaints from players. Bhogle expressed his frustration, saying: “I still don’t know why I am not doing the IPL. I can accept that people may not like me, but I sincerely hope it isn’t because cricketers complained about my analysis.”
IPL 2025 Opener: RCB vs KKR
Meanwhile, in the opening match of IPL 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 7 wickets on Saturday.
