Irfan Pathan snubbed from IPL 2025 commentary panel amid controversy

Dubai: Irfan Pathan’s voice has been a familiar presence in cricket commentary — sharp, insightful, and unfiltered. But as IPL 2025 gears up for its biggest-ever broadcast, one voice will be missing. The former India all-rounder has been left out of the star-studded panel of 170 experts — a move reportedly influenced by complaints from Indian cricketers who believe his criticism was too personal.

A report claims that Pathan has been snubbed following complaints from several Indian cricketers who believe his critical remarks were personally motivated.

According to MyKhel, one player even blocked Pathan’s number on his phone, reportedly irked by the latter’s comments 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.

Former cricketers AB de Villiers, Kane Williamson, Shane Watson, Virender Sehwag, Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Anil Kumble, Mark Boucher, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ajay Jadeja are among the 170 experts gathered by the official broadcaster.

Also part of the panel assembled by JioHotstar, the official broadcaster of IPL, are Navjot Singh Sidhu, Aakash Chopra, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, and celebrated Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan. The matches will be broadcast across more than 25 feeds on both linear TV and digital platforms.

As India’s favourite sporting carnival turns 18, JioStar has announced a never-seen-before presentation with 25-plus feeds in 12 languages across linear TV and digital, featuring more than 170 experts, including IPL champions and World Cup winners from India and across the world.

Pathan is not the first high-profile commentator to face exclusion after complaints from players. In the past, figures like Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogle have lost commentary roles due to criticism from Indian cricketers unhappy with their views.

Despite being left out of the IPL commentary panel, Pathan is not willing to stay silent. He plans to continue his straight talk on YouTube and his social media pages, where he regularly shares insights on the game.

— With inputs from IANS