Was Irfan Pathan snubbed from IPL 2025 commentary panel for carrying personal agendas against certain players?

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

The official commentary panel for the IPL 2025 was revealed on Friday and the name of former India allrounder Irfan Pathan – a regular feature in the past – has been missing. Now, a report claims that Pathan has been snubbed following complaints from a number of India cricketers who believe his critical comments aimed at them are personally motivated.

According to MyKhel, one player even blocked Pathan’s number on his phone reportedly irked at hearing the latter’s comments on him during the Australia series.

“Otherwise, his (Pathan’s) name would have been there. It’s been happening for the last two years as he was carrying his personal agendas against certain players and that didn’t go down well with the system," a source was quoted as saying by the website.

Pathan isn’t the first high-profile commentator to have been punished after complaints from the player. In the past the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogale have lost out on commentary duties due to complaints from India cricketers not happy with their on-air views.

In 2020, Manjrekar was reportedly dropped from BCCI commentary panel for India’s ODI series against South Africa. The decision was taken following a series of controversial events in 2019 including a spat with fellow commentator Bhogale, taking dig at Sourav Ganguly and calling allrounder Ravindra Jadeja as a “bits and pieces player".

“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," Manjrerkar had posted on X following the decision.

Just days before the start of IPL 2016, Bhogale was removed from the commentary roster 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," Bhogale wrote on his Facebook page following the development.

Irfan Pathan Snubbed From IPL 2025 Commentary Panel For Carrying Personal Agendas Against Certain Players? - News18

Former India allrounder and T20 World Cup winner Irfan Pathan isn't part of the commentary panel announced for the IPL 2025.

www.news18.com

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Who are these cricketers who refuse to accept criticism? And who was that cricketer who blocked Irfan after the Australia series?

 

[Major]

Serves irfan right. Guy was very immature.

My favourite commentator from India is Harsha Bhogle. The fact he never played cricket and the way he commentates i just love it

 

[Ahmed216]

Who are these cricketers who refuse to accept criticism? And who was that cricketer who blocked Irfan after the Australia series?

I may be wrong but I feel it's an Indian problem in general. Their fans also cannot digest criticism I've noticed.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Serves irfan right. Guy was very immature.

My favourite commentator from India is Harsha Bhogle. The fact he never played cricket and the way he commentates i just love it

From the OP:

Pathan isn’t the first high-profile commentator to have been punished after complaints from the player. In the past the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogale have lost out on commentary duties due to complaints from India cricketers not happy with their on-air views.

I think some of these Indian cricketers like Rohit and Kohli. They just can't accept criticism. Recently, there were reports that Rohit was unhappy with Gavaskar's criticism.

Did Rohit Sharma Complain Against Sunil Gavaskar To BCCI? Report Makes Explosive Claim

Rohit Sharma has allegedly complained against legendary batter and commentator Sunil Gavaskar to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to a report.

sports.ndtv.com

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

I may be wrong but I feel it's an Indian problem in general. Their fans also cannot digest criticism I've noticed.

Yes, that's true. They expect everyone to blindly praise India, and anyone who holds up a mirror is instantly labeled anti-Hindu or Pakistani. When they run out of arguments, they resort to derailing discussions.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

To commentate in India you have to blindly praise the BCCI and Indian team.

The only man who is an exception to this is Ravi Shastri.

 

[Savak]

Good riddance. Irfan will now have to find other ways to fit in. Atleast he won't be desperately trying too hard via the commentary box anymore.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Looks like he won't be having a good Sunday this time around

 

[m.shah]

Power of Rohit Sharma

 

[Smbhayi]

Serves irfan right. Guy was very immature.

My favourite commentator from India is Harsha Bhogle. The fact he never played cricket and the way he commentates i just love it

Well, he was also snubbed by Star before due to some cricketers don't like criticism..

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

This thread is not for discussing the IPL or its matches because we have plenty of threads for that. Instead, this thread is about cricketers who are upset over criticism from Irfan Pathan, including the one who blocked him after being criticized during the Australia series.

Can anyone guess who that cricketer might be?

 

[Sachin fan]

This thread is not for discussing the IPL or its matches because we have plenty of threads for that. Instead, this thread is about cricketers who are upset over criticism from Irfan Pathan, including the one who blocked him after being criticized during the Australia series.

Can anyone guess who that cricketer might be?

Was it Kohli? Or Rohit?

 

[MenInG]

Why can't he be allowed personal likes or dislikes?

 

[Bhaijaan]

Serves irfan right. Guy was very immature.

My favourite commentator from India is Harsha Bhogle. The fact he never played cricket and the way he commentates i just love it

Harsha also faced some heat for comments on Virat in the past.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Why can't he be allowed personal likes or dislikes?

I think it’s beyond players. BCCI has a certain way of doing things. Irfan did nothing wrong but it’s just the way it is with BCCI. They’re a mysterious shadow organisation.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Why can't he be allowed personal likes or dislikes?

He had personal issues with players and he used the commentators box to spread that propoganda. Same with Manjrekar and Srikanth.

Gavaskar is a very vocal critic. Yet he doesn't bring personal agendas.

 

[sweep_shot]

Well, he was also snubbed by Star before due to some cricketers don't like criticism..

Just like some of the Indian posters here? They also can't stomach any criticism (even constructive ones).

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Just like some of the Indian posters here? They also can't stomach any criticism (even constructive ones).

There’s a thin line between criticizing a player and targeting a player with bias. Sanjay Manjrekar, Irfan Pathan, and Robin Uthappa fall into the first category, they often criticism based on their personal likes and dislikes. On the other hand, Sunny G and Ganguly fall into the Second Category They don’t hesitate to call out a player, no matter how big the name, if the performance isn’t up to the mark.

Just a few days ago, Ganguly strongly criticized Rohit Sharma’s Test performances and his captaincy. Sunny G has also openly criticized both Kohli and Rohit on several occasions.

Harsha Bhogle tends to go a bit soft, almost like he’s giving the players a gentle massage.
Personally, I like Ravi Shastri and Sidhu.

Irfan Pathan once took a dig at Dhoni when his brother wasn’t picked, saying something along the lines of, “Age is just a number for some, and not for others,” when MSD was in the team.

 

[TheSultan]

Result of being a try-hard.

 

[gazza619]

Irfan is such a kind hearted clean soul. He doesn’t deserve this.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Serves irfan right. Guy was very immature.

My favourite commentator from India is Harsha Bhogle. The fact he never played cricket and the way he commentates i just love it

I would rather listen to a child throwing a tantrum in a flight than Harsha. In fact, I would rather listen to my neighbours get at it and never get any my entire life than listen to Harsha Bhogle. The man is so poor but I’m actually surprised people actually rate him. India has some decent commentators but Harsha is far from being one of them.

 

[Zee1989]

I may be wrong but I feel it's an Indian problem in general. Their fans also cannot digest criticism I've noticed.

And our fans can??? Fans are same, they can not listen to criticism of their favourite players

 

[BouncerGuy]

Irfan Pathan Breaks Silence On Why He Was Sacked From IPL Commentary, Talks In Details About 3 Superstars

Irfan Pathan is not only a T20 World Cup-winning cricketer but he is also known for his elocution in the commentary box. Over the last few years he has been working with top broadcasters during important series. So, it came as a surprise when he was not in the panel for commentary during IPL 2025 opening mach. According to a report in TOI then, Irfan was snubbed from the panel as the "broadcasters were not happy with him bringing in personal grudges on-air and even on his social media handle." However, in recent times, he has done commentary during important series including the India vs England contest.

Irfan Pathan has finally broken his silence on being replaced in the commentary panel. "See, I believe that as a broadcaster, when the commentary is going on and the fans are watching the match, you have to go ahead of the visuals and speak about what's happening. The broadcaster and commentator's work is - what is happening and why it is happening. What can happen and how? If a player is doing exceptionally well, you praise him, and if they are not performing well, then criticize him. The commentators' responsibility is towards the fans, not players,” he said on Lallantop.

He was then specifically asked about three players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.

"If you look at my social media, there was Virat Kohli's slump in 2019-20. At that time, it was said that it was the time of COVID, and he wasn't getting inspiration. I thought that when a player of big stature undergoes their first slump, then they should be backed. If you look at my social media, I backed him a lot. One, he deserved it, and won a lot of matches. If the slump continues for five years, then it's not right,” Pathan said.

“Rohit Sharma is an amazing player in white-ball cricket, but his average in Test cricket that year was 6, so we said that if he was not the captain, he would not have had a place in the team, and this is true.

“People say that we supported Rohit Sharma more than necessary. Of course, when someone comes to interview on your broadcasting channel, you will not misbehave with them, right? You have invited him, so you will behave politely. When Rohit came to interview, we were, of course, polite, and we had to show that, because he was our guest. So that was connected and said we were supporting him, but it was we who said...we had said that he should keep fighting, but that said, he should not have had a place in the playing XI. If he was not the captain of the team, he would have been dropped.”

Then, the anchor expressed his 'Hardik ichha' to know about the issue. No player's name was taken but the hint was clear that the player in question was Hardik Pandya.

Pathan replied: "You expressed 'Hardik iccha' to know aboutt he There are 14 matches in IPL. If I have criticised 7 times, then I have gone soft 7 times. You (Hardik) have made a mistake 14 times, I have shown you seven times. This is our job."

During the IPL 2024, Pandya had gone from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, replacing Rohit Sharma as captain. Pathan said he always supported Pandya in this phase when asked if there was a rivalry between him and the star allrounder.

"There is no rivalry. All the players of Baroda who have come up, be it Deepak Hooda, Swapnil Singh, Hardik-Krunal. None of them can say that Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan did not support us. Be it his early days or some other time. No one could have done this even two years ago," Pathan said.

"We helped them in every way, from sponsorship to shoes. We talked to people to give opportunities to these players. No one can question us. Some time ago VVS Laxman said this on Star Sports, 'I admit that I did not listen to Irfan. If I had listened to him in 2012, Hardik would have played for Sunrisers Hyderabad.'

"The people who run it run any story. Today every player has PR. Everyone has their own story. But I say that if any player has played even a single match for India, I respect and support him completely. As a broadcaster, the responsibility is not towards the players but towards the viewers.

"I used a soft hand seven times because it is important to control your emotions in broadcasting. You know he is also a human being. I also opposed the derogatory words used for Hardik. I said if you want to criticize, criticize the players. As long as cricketers play, they will be criticized. Sachin was criticized, Gavaskar was criticized. These words are not right. You should not use such words. I said this live. But an atmosphere was created over other small things."

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/irfan-pathan-breaks-silence-on-why-he-was-sacked-from-ipl-commentary-talks-in-details-about-3-superstars-9096899

 

[Savak]

Poor Irfan Pathan, still fighting very hard and going out of his way and still struggling to fit in India.

 

[kron]

From the OP:

Pathan isn’t the first high-profile commentator to have been punished after complaints from the player. In the past the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogale have lost out on commentary duties due to complaints from India cricketers not happy with their on-air views.

I think some of these Indian cricketers like Rohit and Kohli. They just can't accept criticism. Recently, there were reports that Rohit was unhappy with Gavaskar's criticism.

Did Rohit Sharma Complain Against Sunil Gavaskar To BCCI? Report Makes Explosive Claim

Rohit Sharma has allegedly complained against legendary batter and commentator Sunil Gavaskar to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to a report.

sports.ndtv.com

Now that makes total sense why harsha speaks the way he does.

But lol he has to take the fall for being a sycophant. That’s his problem.

 

[Rafale Nidhal]

From the OP:

Pathan isn’t the first high-profile commentator to have been punished after complaints from the player. In the past the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogale have lost out on commentary duties due to complaints from India cricketers not happy with their on-air views.

I think some of these Indian cricketers like Rohit and Kohli. They just can't accept criticism. Recently, there were reports that Rohit was unhappy with Gavaskar's criticism.

Did Rohit Sharma Complain Against Sunil Gavaskar To BCCI? Report Makes Explosive Claim

Rohit Sharma has allegedly complained against legendary batter and commentator Sunil Gavaskar to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to a report.

sports.ndtv.com

tbf to the indian players, when someone keeps calling you stupid stupid stupid, that is abuse on national tv live. Does sunil have the balls to say the same to a non-indian player, no.

indian commentators get carried away, they think they are big in india hence they can say or do whatever they like. Commentary is supposed to be neutral.