The official commentary panel for IPL 2025 was announced on Friday, and the name of former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan—who has been a regular in the past—was notably absent. Pathan was excluded following complaints from several Indian cricketers who believe his critical remarks about them are personally motivated.
One player reportedly even blocked Pathan’s number on his phone, upset over comments Pathan made about him during the Australia series.
“Otherwise, his (Pathan’s) name would have been there. This has been happening for the past two years because he was pushing personal agendas against certain players, which didn’t sit well with the system,” a source was quoted as saying by the website.
Pathan is not the first high-profile commentator to face repercussions following player complaints. In the past, Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogle have also lost commentary roles due to Indian cricketers being unhappy with their on-air opinions.
In 2020, Manjrekar was reportedly dropped from the BCCI commentary panel for India’s ODI series against South Africa. The decision followed a series of controversial incidents in 2019, including a dispute with fellow commentator Bhogle, a dig at Sourav Ganguly, and referring to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as a “bits and pieces player.”
“I have always considered commentary a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not, and I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance lately. I accept that as a professional,” Manjrekar posted on X after the decision.
Just days before the start of IPL 2016, Bhogle was removed from the commentary team without explanation.
“I still don’t know why I am not doing the IPL. I can accept the fact that people don’t like me. But I genuinely hope it isn’t because cricketers have complained about what I have to say,” Bhogle wrote on his Facebook page following the development.