Strict action taken against Irfan Pathan for criticizing Indian players

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan was not included in the commentary panel for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Reports suggest that Pathan was overlooked for the role due to accusations of bias and taking “potshots” at certain groups of players.

Since his retirement, Pathan has been a regular commentator in both English and Hindi during IPL matches and India’s international fixtures. However, he was not selected for IPL 2025. According to a Times of India report, the decision followed concerns over his social media activity, where he reportedly targeted specific players and aired personal grievances. The report also noted an earlier “fallout” involving these players.

“Pathan disagreed with a few players a few years ago, and since then, he hasn’t hesitated to express his views on them bluntly. It was brought up that junior players became collateral damage in this situation. He has been accused of subtly criticizing them on social media, even though he didn’t directly name them,” sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, Pathan has started his own YouTube channel.

Pathan’s exclusion follows a similar pattern in recent years, as broadcasters have penalized high-profile commentators following player complaints. In 2020, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was reportedly removed from BCCI’s commentary panel for India’s ODI series against South Africa after his controversial “bits and pieces” comment about Ravindra Jadeja during the 2019 ODI World Cup.

“I have always considered commentary as a great privilege but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not & I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional.” Manjrekar wrote on social media after the announcement.

I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not & I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) March 15, 2020

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