Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan will not be part of the commentary panel for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. A report suggests that Pathan has been excluded from the lineup, despite being a prominent voice in IPL broadcasting since his retirement from cricket. His absence was noticeable during the season opener between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Reason Behind the Ouster
According to a Times of India report, Pathan was removed because broadcasters were unhappy with him bringing personal issues into his commentary and social media posts. A BCCI source revealed that Pathan had clashes with a few cricketers in the past and continued making pointed remarks about them on air and online, indirectly affecting younger players in the process.
New Venture on YouTube
The 40-year-old cricketer recently launched his own YouTube channel, Seedhi Baat With Irfan Pathan, on March 22, where he plans to share in-depth match analysis.
Not the First to Be Dropped
Pathan is not the only high-profile figure to lose his spot. In 2020, Sanjay Manjrekar was removed from BCCI’s panel for his infamous “bits and pieces” comment on Ravindra Jadeja. Similarly, in 2016, Harsha Bhogle was dropped from the IPL commentary team, with no official explanation provided.
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